Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia.

  • Southern Rhodesia. Department of Health.
Date:
[1934]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/44 (page 2)
    (2) Births. There were 1,206 European births in 1934, corresponding to an annual birth rate of 22.78 per 1,000 of the population. Of these 22 or 1.8 per cent, were illegitimate—a very low proportion of illegitimate births. The birth rate of Southern Rhodesia, which had been falling sharply since 1930, rose in 1934 from 21.52, the figure for the previous year. This rise is probably an indication of increasing prosperity. It is a high birth rate, and is partly due to the fact that the Colony contains a larger proportion of persons of child-bearing age than older countries. The birth rates of recent years are given below and compared with those of the Union of South Africa and of England and Wales. European Birth Rates, 1921-1934. Southern Union of England Rhodesia. South Africa. and Wales. 1921-30 (average) . . ... 24.6 26.6 18.3 1930 . . 24.2 26.4 16.3 1931. . 23.6 25.4 15.8 1932 . . 22.8 24.2 15.3 1933 . . 21.5 23.7 14.4 1934 . . 22.8 Not available 14.8 (3) Deaths. A. Number of Deaths.—There were 508 European deaths in 1934, cor¬ responding to an annual death rate of 9.59 per 1,000 of the population. For reasons which are given later, this is a higher death rate than that of the previous year, which was almost the lowest on record in the Colony. The following table gives the death rates of recent years compared with those of the Union of South Africa and of England and Wales, the standardised rates giving the alterations necessary to allow for differences of age and sex distribution in the countries concerned. It will be noted that the rates for Southern Rhodesia compare satisfactorily with those of the Union and also of England and Wales. European Death Rates, 1921-1934. Crude death rate, Southern Rhodesia. Standardised death rate. Southern Rhodesia. Union of South Africa. England and Wales. 1921-30 (average) 9.5 11.2 104 10.6 1930 . 9.2 100 10.1 10.8 193 L . 8 3 8.8 9.6 10.2 1932 . 9.5 11.3 10.0 9.7 1933 . 8.5 9.2 9.3 9.8 1934 . 9.6 10.9 Not available Not available