H.—3l

Table A.—Deaths from All Causes: Average Yearly Number of Deaths per 10,000 of Population by Sex and in each Age-group.

New Zealand has for many years prided itself on having the lowest death-rate in the world. As pointed out by the Government Statistician in the " Report on the Vital Statistics of the Dominion of New Zealand " for 1937, this position was challenged by the Netherlands in 1937, with a provisional death-rate of 8-7 per 1,000, as compared with 9-1 for New Zealand. Comparable standardized deathrates would, however, require to be calculated to obtain a reliable comparison of the mortality-rates of the two countries. The Government Statistician goes on to say " This superiority of New Zealand as regards the total death-rate tends to induce an unwarranted complacency in this country. When the death-rates of various countries are analysed by sex and age-groups it is discovered that some countries have a better record than New Zealand at certain ages, including in some cases the ages of greatest economic value. In the case of the Netherlands the figures for 1930-32, compared with those for New Zealand for 1935-36, indicated a superiority of the former in the age-groups from forty years to sixty-five years in the case of males, and the Government Statistician stated that it was unfortunate that figures later than 1930-32 were not available for the Netherlands, it being probable that more recent figures would disclose an even better position for that country. Preliminary figures for that country for 1937 indicate that the Netherlands has improved its position. More detailed analysis of the figures, showing death-rates by age-groups and by cause of death, will be necessary before it is possible to ascertain where New Zealand is falling behind. Still-births. A still-born child is defined as one " which has issued from its mother after the expiration of the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy, and which was not alive at the time of issue." Still-births have been compulsorily registrable in New Zealand since March, 1913. In 1938 still-births numbering 743 were registered, a decrease of 18 from the figure for the previous year.

Still-births (Number and Rate) in New Zealand, 1934 to 1938.

(Note—Still-births are not included, either as births or as deaths, in the various numbers and rates given elsewhere in this report.) There was a marked reduction in the still-birth rate, a reduction which more than balances the increase in the infant death-rate under two weeks. The infant-mortality rate, particularly mortality under one month, cannot logically be discussed except in association with the still-birth rate, and therefore in the discussion of the former later in this report still-births are again referred to.

16

Males. Females. Age ' isqn 1004- 1909- 1914- 1919- 1924- 1929- 1934- 1899- 1904-1 1909-1 1914- 1919- 1924-1 1929- j 1934lE 1908. 1918. 1918. 1923. 1928. W33. 1938. 1903. 1908. | 1913. | 1918. 1923. 1928. | 1933. 11938. n _i 879 792 660 557 514 437 374 399 739 635 518 436 402 340 279 312 1_5 . 76 57 51 55 48 37 31 30 71 54 48 49 43 37 L7 24 5_10 ' 25 21 19 23 20 16 15 13 20 17 17 20 17 14 12 11 10-15 .. 18 17 15 16 15 13 11 11 18 16 13 14 12 10 8 8 15-20 .. .. 29 26 24 32 21 19 20 19 27 29 22 24 20 16 14 12 20-95 41 36 30 67 31 27 24 23 37 35 31 38 29 26 21 1J 25_30 " '! 45 39 35 71 35 29 26 24 47 44 38 52 37 29 26 22 30-35 . . 47 47 44 77 43 35 27 25 50 47 44 54 41 33 30 26 35-40 .. 66 55 58 83 51 43 40 36 64 54 55 57 48 38 36 30 40-45 74 69 67 89 62 54 50 50 70 63 58 62 52 44 41 41 45-50 " ' 99 98 93 100 84 76 71 67 84 81 72 75 69 64 60 56 50-55 142 126 125 131 116 110 102 102 121 100 99 105 96 92 80 78 55-00 " ■■ 194 177 179 182 163 157 145 152 157 147 148 148 137 124 120 16 60-65 258 259 255 250 254 247 233 239 228 217 212 211 203 189 186 183 65-70 " 415 392 407 402 384 394 366 370 358 326 330 322 316 305 296 299 70-75 " .. 684 655 615 665 630 585 577 593 554 549 539 546 530 509 473 494 75-80 1 0671,0271,000 9791,005 952 967 945 903 914 910 855 922 851 8,>2 818 80 and over I \ 806 1,883 1,881 1,859 1,924 1,871 1,867 1,860 1,728 1,718 1,651 1,691 1,698 1,664 1,711 1 ,680

Total Number Rate of Still-births Rate of Still-births Year. of Still-births per 1,000 Live per 1,000 total registered. Births. Births. 1934 687 28-3 27-47 low .. 738 30-8 29-87 ] 936 " .. 732 29-5 28-59 1937 .. .. 761 29-3 28-42 1938 .. ■■ 74!} 27-3 26-54