HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT, 1954
Births and Deaths
Following the trend of the last few years, the birth rate continued at a very high level, whilst the death rate remained at a relatively low level. The following table gives the statistics of births and deaths for the last
five years :-
Year
Births
Birth Rate per 1,000 of Population
Death Rate
Deaths
per 1,000 of Population
1950 ....
60,600
26.8
18,465
8.2
1951......
68,500
34
20,580
10.2
1952.
71,976
32
19,459
8.6
1953
75,544
33.6
18,300
8.1
1954
83,317
36.6
19,283
8.5
Perhaps the main reason for the Colony's high birth rate is the young age grouping of the Colony which is due principally to the post-war influx of young people from China seeking work. The same factor to some extent explains the low death rate but the effective control of epidemic and killing diseases is probably the main reason for this.
The maternal mortality rate in 1954 was 1.24 per 1,000 births compared with 0.97 in 1953 and 1.14 in 1952. The infant mortality rate was 72.4 per 1,000 live births compared with 73.6 in 1953 and 77.1 in 1952. The infant mortality rate has fallen steadily since the war and, if the war years are excluded, over the last 25 years. All births are registered and the credit for the present low figure rests with the well-trained midwives and registered medical practitioners who deliver 97% of all births.
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