WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1984
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FROM AN OPENING BID OF $9 MILLION, A PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL LOT IN TUEN MUN MEASURING 8 196 SQUARE METRES WAS EVENTUALLY BOUGHT FOR $14.5 MILLION ($1 769 PER SQUARE METRE). THE PURCHASER WAS STARLITE LAND DEVELOPMENT CO. PTE. LTD.
A SIMILAR LOT IN SHA TIN MEASURING 2 900 SQUARE METRES WAS BOUGHT BY UBC (HONG KONG) LIMITED FOR $1.5 MILLION ($517 PER SQUARE METRE), $0.2 MILLION OVER THE OPENING BID.
THE LAST SITE, MEASURING 6 400 SQUARE METRES WAS SOLD AT ITS OPENING PRICE OF $13 MILLION ($2 031 PER SQUARE METRE). IT IS
WAS BOUGHT BY DIGITAL EQUIPMENT INTERNATIONAL LTD. FOR INDUSTRIAL AND GODOWN DEVELOPMENT.
ALSO IN SHA TIN $13 A
THE AUCTIONEER TODAY WAS GOVERNMENT LAND AGENT, MR BOB POPE.
BIG DROP IN BIRTH RATE
***
THERE HAS BEEN A BIG DECLINE IN THE BIRTH RATE IN HONG KONG OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES. ACCORDING TO A REPORT ON DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS IN HONG KONG FROM 1971 TO 1982.
AT THE LEVEL PREVAILING BY 1982. THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF BIRTHS PER WOMAN DURING HER REPRODUCTIVE AGE (BETWEEN 15 AND 49) WAS LESS THAN TWO, THE REPORT PREPARED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT SHOWS.
+THIS LEVEL OF FERTILITY, IF UNCHANGED, WOULD BE INSUFFICIENT FOR A GENERATION TO REPLACE ITSELF, THE REPORT INDICATES.
THE ANALYSIS ALSO SHOWS THAT ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF CHILDBEARING IS COMPLETED WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF MARRIAGE,
UNLIKE THE BIRTH RATE, HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN UPWARD TREND IN THE ANNUAL NUMBER OF MARRIAGES THROUGHOUT THE 1970'S, WITH THE NUMBER IN 1982 BEING ALMOST TWICE THAT OF 1971. THIS GROWTH IS A RESULT OF THE BULGE IN BIRTHS DURING THE 1950'S LEADING TO A BULGE CURRENTLY IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS IN THE MARRIAGEABLE AGE GROUPS. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, THE PEAK AGES FOR FIRST MARRIAGE IN THE CASE OF MALES ARE 30 TO 34 AND THOSE FOR FEMALES ARE 25 TO 29, WITH AN AVERAGE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE OF 28 FOR MEN AND 24 FOR WOMĖN.
MORTALITY DECLINED STEADILY OVER THE PERIOD 1971-82. THERE HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLE FALL IN DEATH RATES DURING INFANCY, CHILDHOOD AND AT THE YOUNG ADULT AGES, BUT THE IMPROVEMENT DECREASES WITH AGE. IN GENERAL, IMPROVEMENT FOR MALES IS GREATER THAN FOR FEMALES. BY 1981 A MALE BABY COULD EXPECT TO LIVE, ON AVERAGE, 72 YEARS AND A FEMALE BABY 78 YEARS, THE CORRESPONDING EXPECTATIONS OF LIFE FOR 1971 WERE 68 AND 76 YEARS RESPECTIVELY.
THE REPORT CONTAINS MANY MORE FINDINGS AND DETAILED TABLES ON VITAL REGISTRATION STATISTICS ON BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.
THE REPORT IS NOW ON SALE AT $20 A COPY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, HONG KONG.
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