M (1) 12
VITAL STATISTICS.
The estimated population of the Colony amounts to:-
British and foreign civilians............ 14,100
Chinese civilians 571,780
Total number of births, Chinese 3,253
Total number of births, Non-Chinese ................ 365
The general civil birth rate is 6.1, and the Chinese birth rate, 5.68 per 1,000.
The total number of deaths was 11,880 and the general death rate was 20.27 per 1,000. Of these there were 11,604 Chinese and 276 non-Chinese civilians, and the death rate was respectively 20.29 and 18.08.
Infantile mortality.-15 non-Chinese and 1,065 Chinese infants died who were less than a month old, and 23 non-Chinese and 2,663 Chinese infants who were more than a month but less than a year old at the time of death. This makes the total number of deaths at these ages to be 38 non-Chinese and 3,728 Chinese. The registration of deaths is compulsory and the figures quoted are reliable. But this does not apply to the figures for the birth rate as the Chinese often do not register a child until it has lived for a certain time. (These statistics are derived from the M.O.H's report for the year.)
III. METEOROLOGICAL RETURNS, 1921.
Month. Barometer at M.S.L. TEMPERATURE. HUMIDITY. Cloudiness. Sunshine. WIND. Rain. Max. Mean. Min. Rel. Abs. Direction. Vel. ins. p.c. p. c. hours. points. miles p.h. ins. January, February. 30.21 64.2 58.8 54.1 66 0.35 46 0.34 30.12 64.8 59.7 55.9 68 NE by E 9.1 March, April, May, June,... 30.05 68.9 63.9 59.5 78 0.48 78 E by N 13.0 1.040 July... 29.98 76.4 71.9 68.7 81 0.64 81 E 9.9 4.505 August, 29.80 81.3 77.1 74.1 88 0.82 58 ESE 33.785 155.9 29.72 85.2 81.0 77.8 84 0.89 80 E 14.740 September... 29.79 86.2 81.6 77.8 81 0.88 61 ESE 11.875 258.2 29.69 87.4 82.2 78.6 82 0.90 62 October, 29.86 84.4 80.0 76.8 75 0.78 67 E 9.4 249.0 30.06 81.0 75.8 72.3 69 0.62 36 ESE 15.445 November. 30.10 75.5 69.8 65.6 58 0.42 61 S 8.5 0.395 December,... 30.16 69.3 64.5 61.3 70 0.43 64 ENE 11.3 201.0 E 12.100 E by N 11.4 264.7 E 12.5 182.1 E by N 11.6 0.220 Mean or Total.......... 29.96 77.0 72.3 68.5 74.9 0.63 72.3 E 10.7 220.64 65 97.340