H .—3l

12

The proportion of plural births per 1,000 of all births during the past five years was : — Plural Pl '" a * Births Year. All Births. £■ TL P<*r 1,000 of Blrths - all Births. 1906 ... ... ... ... 24,252 215 B*B7 1907 ... ... ... ... ... 25,094 244 9*72 1908 ... ... ... ... ... 25,940 286 11*03 1909 ... ... ... ... 26,524 266 10-03 1910 ... ... ... ... ... 25,984 290 1116 Illegitimacy. The births of 1,162 children were illegitimate : thus 45 in every 1.000 children born were born out of wedlock, against 46 in 1909.

Proportion of Illegitimate Births in every 100 Births.

These figures show the proportion of illegitimate births to every 100 births for New Zealand to be fairly steady during the period 1899-1908. Births and Birth-rates in the Four Chief Cities and their Suburbs. The total number of births registered as occurring in the four chief centres and suburbs in 1910 was 7,221, as against 7,463 for the previous year. The birth-rates for last year were, — Birth-rates per 1,000 of Mean Population. Auckland City ... ... ... ... ... 27-75 „ and seven suburban boroughs ... ... 26 01 Wellington City ... ... . ... ... ... 2413 „ and three suburban boroughs ... ... 24-19 Christchurch City ... ... ... ... ... 27-10 „ and three suburban boroughs ... ... 25 83 Dunedin City ... ... ... ... ... 27*22 „ and five suburban boroughs ... ... 25*29 By the inclusion of the suburbs the rate is lowered at Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, but raised at Wellington. Excluding the suburbs, it will be observed that Auckland has the highest rate, Dunedin next highest, Christchurch and Wellington following. The birth-rate for the Dominion last year was 2621 per thousand. Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin are thus over the average, and Wellington below it. The birth-rates for the four central boroughs last year show a fall when compared with 1909. In Auckland the rate fell from 29'73 to 27 75 ; in Wellington from 2662 to 24*13; in Christchurch from 28-55 to 27*10; in Dunedin from 28*34 to 27-72. The rates for five years, 1906 to 1910, are, — Births per 1,000 of Population. , 1906. 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910. Auckland (without suburbs) ... 29-96 29-63 30-56 2973 27*75 Wellington „ ... 27*85 27*53 27*60 26-62 2413 Christchurch „ ... 28-19 30-47 28*43 28-55 27*10 Dunedin „ ... 2896 25*69 25-48 2834 27-22 Marriages. The marriages for 1910 show an increase on the number for the previous year. The number was 8,236, or 142 more than in 1909. The rate per 1,000 of the population was 8 - 30, as against

Year. „ , , New South Queensland. Wale9 Victoria. South Australia. Western Australia. Tasmania. New Zealand 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 6-40 5*93 6*04 6-76 6-89 7 00 7-68 7-31 7-45 6*99 7-01 7*16 6-60 6*71 7-12 7-37 704 7-04 6-89 6*58 5-91 5*58 5-51 5-73 5-74 5-61 5*58 5*62 5-76 5-92 4-24 3*98 4-36 4-18 4-01 4-37 4 00 410 4-33 4-18 1-82 3 -SS 3*96 4-69 4-36 4-19 4.-78 3-89 4-35 1-55 5-43 5-94 5-36 5*61 5-82 5-52 5-78 5-86 4-97 5-10 4-63 4-57 4-46 4-55 4-52 4-57 4-67 4-61 4-26 4-61