Dealing with the four metropolitan areas only, it is found that the inclusion of the suburban portions lowers the death-rate at Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

Auckland City ..
Auckland Metropolitan Area ..
Wellington City
Wellington Metropolitan Area
Christchurch City
Christchurch Metropolitan Area
Dunedin City ..
Dunedin Metropolitan Area ..
Including the suburban portions, the rate at Dunedin is the highest and at Auckland the lowest.
Compared with March, 1917, 1918, and 1919, the results are-
Auckland Metropolitan Area
Wellington Metropolitan Area
Christchurch Metropolitan Area
Dunedin Metropolitan Area
The total births registered for the four metropolitan areas amounted to 832, as against 734 in February-an increase of 98. The deaths in March were 341-an increase of 35 as compared with the previous month. Of the total deaths males contributed 180, females 161. Fifty-six of the deaths were of children under five years of age, being 16-42 per cent. of the whole number. Forty of these were under one year of age.
The following table shows the deaths in various age-groups occurring in the four metropolitan and total of nine suburban areas during the month of March, 1920:-
| Age-group. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | NINE SUBURBAN AREAS.* | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. |
| Under 5 years | 9 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 35 | 38 |
| 5 and under 10 years.. | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | . | 1 | . | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| 10 ,, 15 ,, .. | 2 | . | 1 | . | 1 | . | 1 | . | . | 2 | 3 |
| 15 ,, 20 ,, . | 2 | 1 | 1 | . | . | . | . | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 20 ,, 25 ,, .. | 1 | . | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | . | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 25 ,, 30 ,, .. | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 12 |
| 30 ,, 35 ,, .. | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
| 35 ,, 40 ,, .. | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | . | 10 | 7 |
| 40 ,, 45 ,, .. | 3 | 3 | 4 | . | . | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 11 |
| 45 ,, 50 ,, .. | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 5 |
| 50 ,, 55 ,, .. | 2 | 1 | 2 | . | . | . | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 55 ,, 60 ,, .. | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 9 |
| 60 ,, 65 ,, .. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 15 |
| 65 years and over .. | 23 | 19 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 86 |
| Unknown or not stated | .. | .. | .. | . | . | . | . | . | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals.. .. | 65 | 43 | 47 | 30 | 34 | 44 | 34 | 44 | 48 | 51 | 228 |

• Excluding Timaru; returns not yet received.
  The deaths of 161 persons of 65 years and upwards were registered for the four metropolitan and nine suburban areas during the month of March, 1920, as against 153 in the previous month. The following table shows the classification:-
  | Age. | Auckland | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | NINE SUBURBAN AREAS.* | Total. |
  |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. |
  | 65 | 3 | . | 2 | 1 | . | . | 1 | . | 2 | 6 | 4 |
  | 66 | . | . | 2 | 2 | . | . | . | . | 1 | 2 | 4 |
  | 67 | 2 | 1 | . | 1 | . | . | . | . | 1 | 3 | 2 |
  | 68 | 1 | 1 | . | . | 3 | . | . | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
  | 69 | . | 1 | . | 1 | . | . | 1 | . | . | 1 | 2 |
  | 70 | . | . | 2 | 1 | 1 | . | . | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
  | 71 | 2 | . | . | . | 2 | . | . | . | . | 4 | .. |
  | 72 | 1 | . | . | 1 | . | . | 1 | . | 1 | 2 | 2 |
  | 73 | . | 1 | . | . | 1 | 1 | . | . | 1 | 2 | 3 |
  | 74 | 1 | 2 | . | . | . | 1 | 4 | 3 | . | 5 | 6 |
  | 75 | 1 | 2 | 1 | . | . | 3 | . | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
  | 76 | 1 | . | 2 | . | 2 | . | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
  | 77 | 2 | 3 | 1 | . | . | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
  | 78 | 2 | 1 | . | . | . | 2 | 2 | . | . | 5 | 3 |
  | 79 | 1 | . | . | . | 1 | 1 | . | . | . | 2 | 1 |
  | 80 | . | . | 1 | . | . | 2 | . | . | . | 2 | 1 |
  | 81 | . | . | . | . | . | 2 | 1 | 3 | . | 1 | 3 |
  | 82 | 2 | 2 | 1 | . | . | . | . | 1 | . | 3 | 3 |
  | 83 | . | 1 | 1 | . | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
  | 84 | . | . | 1 | . | . | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
  | 85 | . | . | . | . | 1 | 1 | . | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
  | 86 | 2 | 2 | . | . | . | 1 | . | . | 1 | 3 | 3 |
  | 87 | 1 | . | 1 | . | 1 | 1 | . | . | . | 3 | 2 |
  | 88 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 1 | . |
  | 89 | . | 1 | . | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | .. | 2 |
  | 90 | 1 | . | . | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | 1 | 1 |
  | 92 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | . | 1 |
  | 93 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | . | . |
  | 95 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
  | Totals .. | 23 | 19 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 86 |
• Excluding Timaru; returns not yet received.