If this table be compared with that showing the birth-rates, it will be observed that the experience of Australasia corresponds with that of other countries, viz., that a low birth-rate and a low death-rate accompany each other, so that although the birth-rate has been declining it has had an effect in reducing the death-rate, as indicated on the preceding page, and the balance in favour of births has not been reduced so much as it might have been. From the next table, which shows the mean natural increase in various foreign countries during the decennial period 1893-1902, and for Australasia and the United Kingdom during the period 1894-1903, it will be seen that the case of Australasia is much better than that of any of the countries of the United Kingdom or Europe, for notwithstanding that the birth-rate of these countries in some cases is higher, the death-rate is so much higher as to more than outweigh any advantage in that respect. In regard to the above table it must be stated that, had the figures of any of the last five years been taken as the basis of comparison, the gain by natural increase in Australasia would have been below that of some European countries, where the decline in the birth-rate, although distinctly evident, has not been so great as in Australasia. INDEX OF MORTALITY. So far consideration has only been given to the actual death-rates as they are obtained by taking the proportion which the number of deaths bears to the number of inhabitants. It is well known, however, that the death-rate of a country is affected by more than the salubrity of its climate, the degree of perfection to which the sanitary condition of its cities and towns and villages has been brought, and the nature of the industrial pursuits of its people. It is known that the ages of the people considerably affect the death-rate of a country; that, for instance, one which has a large proportion of young people will, other things being equal, have a lower death-rate than another which has a comparatively large proportion of old persons; and it is this fact that statistical science now seeks to take into account in establishing the rates of mortality of the various countries of the world. In order to have a comparison of the mortality of the principal countries on a uniform basis, the International Statistical Institute, in its 1895 session, held at Berne, decided to recommend the population of Sweden, in five agegroups, as ascertained at the census of 1890, as the standard population, by which the index of mortality should be calculated. Applying the co-efficient of mortality in each age-group in the Commonwealth and New Zealand to the age constitution of the standard population, the "index of mortality," as distinguished from the actual "death-rate," is found as given below for the year 1903. How greatly the ages of the people of a country affect its mortality will be evident from the fact that whereas in 1903 the death-rate in Victoria was higher than in Queensland, the index of mortality was lower, and while the death-rates ranged from 10-40 in New Zealand to 12.90 in Victoria, a difference of only 2.50 per thousand, the indexes of mortality showed a range of 3.58, namely, from 12.64 in New Zealand to 16-22 in Queensland. AGES AT DEATH. A detailed statement of the ages at death of the males who died during the year 1903 in the various states is given below. The figures for South Australia in this and subsequent detailed tables refer to the province proper exclusive of the Northern Territory. Similar information respecting the deaths of females in 1903 is given in the following table : Ages at Death. New South Wales. Victoria. New Zealand. 350 58 22 14 9 37 43 63 71 78 74 73 62 73 49 59 82 123 103 259 The next table shows the ages of all the persons who died during 1903 : The ages of the people were ascertained at the census of March, 1901, and a comparison of the foregoing figures with the numbers living at each age can now be made. Using the same age groups as for the index of mortality given on page 183, the following rates are obtained. For age 0 (under 1 year) the number of births during the year has been used in place of figures deduced from the census results : : Tasmania usually shows a much more favourable rate than any of the other states of the Commonwealth, and especially as regards children under 1 year of age; but in 1903 a severe epidemic of whooping cough visited the island, and as a consequence the death rate of children under 1 year rose from 79.96 in 1902, to 111 02 in 1903. During last year Australasia. South Australia showed much the lowest rate in Australia, but was still unable to compare with New Zealand, where the rates in each age group were lower than in any of the Commonwealth states. INFANTILE MORTALITY. The mortality of infants under 1 year of age may be measured accurately by comparing the deaths with the number of births; this is a most sensitive and reliable test of the healthiness and sanitary condition of a country, since at this early age children are most susceptible to the attacks of disease. The following table shows for each state the number of deaths of children under 1 year of age, and the rate per 1,000 births, since 1870, arranged in five-year periods :— State. 1871-75. 1876-80. 1881-85. 1886-90. 1891-95. 1896-1900. 1901-3. DEATHS under 1 Year. New South Wales Queensland South Australia 11,036 14,626 19,709 21,586 21,930 20,819 12,049 8,646 7,496 7,337 4,395 5,227 5,266 2,566 Commonwealth... 119:47 120-55 123:48 117.51 107.96 New Zealand 106.69 95.60 90.51 84.23 Australasia .. 118.09 116 53 118.88 113.71 105:51 107.23 99.61 112.35 103.98 87.57 80.03 78.52 The infantile mortality of New South Wales has not shown great fluctuations during the thirty-three years included in the foregoing tables. The highest death-rate was in the five years 1881-85. The mortality at the end of the period, namely 107.89 per 1,000 was slightly greater than in 1871-75, when it stood at 103 58. |