3
Deaths.
The number of deaths recorded in 1939 amounted to 48,283 (202 non-Chinese), an increase of 9,465 over the corresponding figure for 1938.
As in the case of birth-rates, it is necessary to give two methods of calculation of the crude uncorrected death-rates and these can be seen in Table III below.
Table III.
1939 Method A Method B Population Deaths Rate Population Deaths Rate Whole Population 1,050,256 48,283 46.0 1,750,256 48,283 27.6 Chinese 1,026,645 48,081 46.9 1,726,645 48,081 27.8 Non-Chinese 23,611 202 8.6 23,611 202 8.6 1938 Method A Method B Population Deaths Rate Population Deaths Rate Whole Population 1,028,619 38,818 37.7 1,228,619 38,818 31.6 Chinese 1,005,528 38,621 38.4 1,205,523 38,621 32.0 Non-Chinese 23,096 197 8.5 23,096 197 8.5Still-births.
Only 1,402 still-births came under notice in 1939 (1,075 in 1938), a ratio of just over three per centum to the live births registered. It is more than probable that a number of still-births never come to the notice of the authorities.
Infant mortality rate.
15,678 Chinese infants under one year of age died in 1939, as compared with 12,001 in 1938; the infant mortality rates for 1939 and 1938 being 341 and 343 respectively. The rate among Chinese infants was nearly six times the corresponding rate among non-Chinese infants.
There was a considerable increase in the number of marriages in the year under review, both in licensed places of worship and at the Registry of Marriages. This can be accounted for principally by the fact that the Christian marriage and its civil equivalent are gaining in popularity among the Chinese. It is of course impossible to record the number of non-Christian customary marriages.
The following table provides means for comparing statistics in 1939 with those in 1938-
1938 1939 Chinese Others Chinese Others By Special Licence in Church 4 1 4 1 By Special Licence at Registry 6 10 12 4 By Registrar's Certificate in Church 116 115 151 114 By Registrar's Certificate at Registry 209 79 423 70 In Articulo Mortis 1 1 336 208 579 202