534
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 18

NUMBER of Deaths of Persons of Sixty-five Years and upwards registered in the Four Chief Towns of New Zealand during the Year 1896.

BIRTHS AND BIRTH-RATES.

The total number of births registered as occurring in the four chief centres and suburbs in 1896 was 4,360, as against 4,370 for the previous year.

The births in the four cities rose from 2,722 in 1895 to 2,765 in 1896; while the births in the suburban boroughs fell from 1,648 to 1,595. The birth-rates for last year are—

Thus, by the inclusion of the suburbs the rate is raised at Christchurch and Dunedin, but lowered at Auckland and Wellington. It will be observed that Auckland has the highest rate, Wellington the next highest, Christchurch and Dunedin following at long intervals. The difference between the Auckland rate (27·30) and the Dunedin rate (22·79) is very marked. The birth-rate for the whole colony for last year was 26·33 per thousand. Auckland and Wellington are thus above the average, while Christchurch and Dunedin fall below it.

Taking the births in the four central boroughs without their suburbs, and comparing the numbers for 1896 and 1895, an increase is observed in each case: at Auckland 4, at Wellington 5, at Christchurch 11, and at Dunedin 23. The figures for the last five years are,—

The birth-rates recorded for the four central boroughs last year show a rise—at Auckland, 28·39, as against 28·04 for 1895; at Christchurch, from 20·36 in 1895 to 21·81 in 1896; and at Dunedin, from 19·87 to 21·83; but a fall at Wellington, from 28·30 to 26·84. The rates for the years 1892–96 are as follow:—

DEATHS AND DEATH-RATES.

The total number of deaths registered for the four centres in 1896 was 1,918—viz., 1,302 in the cities, and 616 in the suburbs. In 1895 the number was 1,962—1,368 in the cities, and 594 in the suburbs. Thus there was last year a decrease in the city deaths, while in the number of suburban deaths there was an increase.

By including the suburbs the death-rate for last year is lowered at each of the four centres, the difference being most noticeable in Auckland (1·30). The rates for the year are,—

The death-rate is thus shown to be highest in Auckland and lowest in Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington taking second and third places respectively. The death-rate for the colony was 9·10 per 1,000 of mean population. The four centres, as might be expected, each show a higher average than this, and in fact the excess is considerable at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, and is found, though in smaller measure, at Dunedin.

If the number of deaths of infants under one year be excluded, the mortality among the rest of the population would be in the following ratio to the 1,000 living:—

The degree of infantile mortality may be exhibited in the proportion of deaths of children under 1 year of age to every 100 births. For 1896 the proportions at the chief centres are,—

Thus the proportion at Dunedin is considerably less than half that found at Auckland. Again, the percentage of deaths of children under 5 to the total number of deaths is—in Auckland, 39·96; in Wellington, 29·20; in Christchurch, 29·23; in Dunedin only 21·00. The total of deaths under 5 is 613, or 31·96 per cent. of all deaths, as against 615 and 31·35 for 1895. The deaths of persons of 65 and upwards numbered 363 last year; in 1895 they were 345.