registered in 1971 was, as compared with 1970, down by 510 to 20,253 (56.34% being of males and 43.66% being of females), comprising 19,978 Chinese (11,224 males and 8,754 females) and 275 non-Chinese (186 males and 89 females). The crude death rate accordingly dropped from 5.27 to 5.01, which is the lowest rate of any of the countries listed in paragraph 173, and compares with an estimated 14 for the whole world in the Demographic Year Book 1970 (see paragraph 173). While once again due tribute must be paid to the efficiency of the Colony's medical and health services, it must be acknowledged that this exceptionally low rate to a large extent results from the age structure of the population, which contains an abnormally high proportion of younger people. The infant mortality rate also dropped by 1.27 from 19.63 to 18.36 per thousand of live births.
187. Table XL gives the numbers of deaths registered by district in 1969, 1970 and 1971. It shows that of the 20,253 deaths in 1971, 6,172 (30.5%) were on Hong Kong Island, 12,736 (62.9%) in Kowloon and New Kowloon, and 1,345 (6.6%) in the New Territories. Table XLI gives the numbers of registered deaths by sex and age group during the five years 1967 to 1971.
188. In relation to the statistics in Table XLI it is advisable to repeat the warning given in previous Reports. In some cases the ages of the deceased are given to the District Registrars by relatives according to the Chinese reckoning, under which, for instance, if a child is born the day before Chinese New Year, it is regarded as being two years old on the following day. These Chinese ages are converted by the District Registrars to ages according to the European reckoning, but obviously errors can easily be made in the process. There is, moreover, no doubt but that a great many people are extremely hazy about their own and their relatives' ages. A further complicating factor is the tendency of relatives to exaggerate the age of the deceased, it being not uncommon in public announcements to add one month to the age for every year of the deceased's true age. The District Registrars, however, use their best endeavours to ascertain the correct age, and the figures given for the various groups are thought to be pretty fair approximations.
Accident and Suicide Deaths
189. Table XLII shows the number of registered deaths in 1971 by accident and suicide classified by cause, sex and age group. This reveals that 1,312 people died by accident or suicide as follows, the 1970 figures being given in brackets:
|
58
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.