Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1970-1971 — Page 68

It will be seen from the above that after an almost unbroken series of drops in the number of adoptions registered each year from 1961 to 1967, the downward trend was reversed in 1968. In 1969 the figure rose to a record 271, and while the 1970 figure is 16 lower at 255, this is still the second highest figure ever recorded. During 1970, 54% of the children adopted were over five years old and 72% over two yeras old. This appears to indicate that quite a large number of these children were already admitted into the families of their adopters before adoption. Of the 1,973 children adopted since the Adoption Ordinance came into force, 586 were under two years old, 159 two years old, and 269 three to four years old. Thus 1,014, or more than half of the total number of children adopted, were under five years old when adopted. The remaining 959 were distributed among the age groups as follows, 5-9 469, 10-14 308, and 15-20 182. In the cases of joint adopters and sole female adopters, the adopters fall mainly into the category of no stated relationship. In the case of sole male adopters the majority were either the father or of no stated relationship.

187. A comparison of the statistics for the last five years (1966-70) with those for the five years before that (1961-1965) reveals, in addition to the trends noted in paragraph 186, that:

(1) the majority of adopters in both periods were joint adopters, and (2) there was an increase in the number of persons adopting children of their own or children otherwise related to them, as follows:

Adopted Children

First 5 years (1.1.61–31.12.65) Last 5 years (1.1.66-31.12.70)

Compilation of Vital Statistics

With

Relation-

Without Relation-

ship

ship

149

591

375

519

..

188. The Births and Deaths Registry is responsible for the compila- tion of vital statistics for the Colony. The Hollerith system is used for compiling statistics of mortality, and information is recorded by means of punched cards covering 16 separate items. From 1st January 1969 the compilation of statistics was expanded to cover information relating to births, and this information, which includes 25 separate items, is recorded in separate statistical forms and coding sheets for card punching and data processing by computer. The Department maintains

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