924
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 21

BIRTHS AND BIRTH-RATES.

The total number of births registered as occurring in the four chief cities and suburban boroughs in 1913 was 7,341, as against 8,084 for the previous year.

The birth-rates for last year were,—

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23·23
and seven suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 25·93
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24·88
and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 24·67
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23·56
and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 24·31
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21·61
and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 22·53

By the inclusion of the suburbs the rate is lowered at Wellington, but raised in the case of the other three centres. Excluding the suburbs, it will be observed that Wellington has the highest rate, Christchurch next highest, Auckland and Dunedin following. The birth-rate for the Dominion last year was 26·14 per thousand. All four centres are thus below the average.

The birth-rates for each of the four central boroughs last year show a decrease when compared with 1912. In Auckland the rate fell from 30·63 to 23·23; in Wellington from 28·20 to 24·88; in Christchurch from 29·52 to 23·56; and in Dunedin from 29·10 to 21·61. The rates for five years, 1909 to 1913, are,—

Births per 1,000 of Population.

Auckland (without suburbs) .. 1909. 29·73 .. 1910. 27·75 .. 1911. 30·03 .. 1912. 30·63 .. 1913. 23·23
Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 26·62 .. .. 24·13 .. .. 26·67 .. .. 28·20 .. .. 24·88
Christchurch .. .. .. .. 28·55 .. .. 27·10 .. .. 28·45 .. .. 29·52 .. .. 23·56
Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 28·34 .. .. 27·22 .. .. 29·45 .. .. 29·10 .. .. 21·61

DEATHS AND DEATH-RATES.

The total number of deaths registered for the four centres in 1913 was 3,062—viz., 2,364 in the cities, and 698 in the suburbs.

By including the suburbs the death-rate for last year is lowered at all of the four centres. The rates for the year are,—

Death-rates per 1,000 of Mean Population.

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11·49 10·61
and seven suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. ..
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9·30 9·08
and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. ..
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10·40 10·15
and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. ..
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11·98 11·03
and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. ..

The death-rates for the cities, including suburban boroughs, for five years are as below :—

Deaths, 1909. Deaths, 1910. Deaths, 1911. Deaths, 1912. Deaths, 1913.
Per 1,000 of Per 1,000 of Per 1,000 of Per 1,000 of Per 1,000 of
Population. Population. Population. Population. Population.

Auckland (including suburbs) .. 9·30 .. 9·73 .. 10·93 .. 9·73 .. 10·61
Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 9·11 .. 8·95 .. 10·08 .. 9·13 .. 9·08
Christchurch .. .. .. .. 9·33 .. 10·41 .. 10·36 .. 10·34 .. 10·15
Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 9·95 .. 10·24 .. 10·43 .. 10·43 .. 11·03

If the number of deaths of infants under one year be excluded, the mortality among the rest of the population is found to have been for 1912 and 1913 in the following ratio to the 1,000 living :—

1912. 1913. Auckland (including suburbs) .. .. .. .. .. 8·04 .. 8·74
            Wellington .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7·44 .. 7·79
            Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8·65 .. 8·82
            Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9·40 .. 9·59

The degree of infantile mortality is perhaps best shown in the proportion of deaths of children under one year of age to every 100 births. For 1912 and 1913 the proportions at the chief centres are,—

1912. 1913. Auckland (including suburbs) .. .. .. .. .. 5·70 .. 8·08
            Wellington .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6·13 .. 6·02
            Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6·00 .. 6·35
            Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3·81 .. 7·34

Again, the percentage of deaths of children under five years to the total number of deaths is—Auckland, 24·79; Wellington, 20·15; Christchurch, 20·42; Dunedin, 17·78.

Excluding suburbs, and dealing with the deaths at all ages in the four cities or central boroughs only, the rates at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch for 1913 are found to be lower than in the previous year. The figures for five years are given :—

Deaths, 1909. Deaths, 1910. Deaths, 1911. Deaths, 1912. Deaths, 1913.
Per 1,000 of Per 1,000 of Per 1,000 of Per 1,000 of Per 1,000 of
Population. Population. Population. Population. Population.

Auckland (excluding suburbs) .. 11·25 .. 11·88 .. 13·68 .. 11·65 .. 11·49
Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 9·35 .. 9·31 .. 10·32 .. 9·43 .. 9·30
Christchurch .. .. .. .. 9·48 .. 10·54 .. 10·95 .. 10·63 .. 10·40
Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 11·55 .. 10·99 .. 11·79 .. 11·57 .. 11·98

Omitting the deaths of infants under one year, and calculating the rate on the population of one year of age and upwards, an increase is shown at three of the four centres. The mean rates for five years are also given :—

Deaths per 1,000 of Population, excluding Infants under One Year of Age.

1912. 1913. Mean of Five Years.
            Auckland (excluding suburbs) .. .. .. 9·95 .. 9·42 .. 10·07
            Wellington .. .. .. .. .. .. 7·95 .. 8·03 .. 7·84
            Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. .. 9·03 .. 9·06 .. 8·87
            Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. .. 10·79 .. 10·54 .. 10·35

Subjoined is a table showing the rates of infant mortality in the four cities for each of the past two years, together with the mean rates for the last five years.

Deaths of Children under One Year to every 100 Births.

1912. 1913. Mean of Five Years.
            Auckland (excluding suburbs) .. .. .. 6·55 .. 9·88 .. 7·91
            Wellington .. .. .. .. .. .. 6·06 .. 5·90 .. 7·33
            Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. .. 6·32 .. 6·56 .. 6·46
            Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. .. 3·78 .. 7·72 .. 5·68

MALCOLM FRASER,
Government Statistician.

Registrar-General’s Office,
Wellington, 10th March, 1914,