XN000022-1973-01-20 — Page 2

Saturday, January 20, 1973

SLIGHT INCREASE IN POPULATION

Estimated 4.1 Million At End Of Last Year"

The estimated population at the end of December 1972 was

4,103,500, the Commissioner for Census and Statistics said today.

This is an increase of 39,100 over the estimated figure

for December 1971.

The relatively small increase in population is attributable

to a negative balance of migration of 19,100 over the period.

The number of births during 1972 was 80,344, slightly greater

than in 1971 (79,684). The crude birth rate for 1972 was 19.7 per

thousand, the same as in 1971.

The total number of deaths in 1972 was 22,135 compared to

20,286 in 1971, and the crude death rate is thus slightly higher at

5.4 per thousand.

The rate of natural increase of the population for 1972

(the excess of birth over deaths in 1972 expressed as a percentage

of the 1971 end-year population) was 1.43 percent.

These figures are based upon events occurring rather than

upon registrations made and therefore differ slightly from those

released by the Registrar-General.

12