Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 415

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The nationalities of the Non-Chinese parents were as follows-British 118, Portuguese 73, Indian 37, Malay 14, Filipino 10, German 8, French 4, Spanish 3, Persian 3, Norwegian 2, Jewish 2, Japanese 2. Austrian 2, Australian 1, American 1, Eurasian 1, Arabian 1, Hungarian 1, Turkish 1, Dutch 1.

The proportion of Non-Chinese births of male children to female children is the same as in last year, viz., 111 to 100, but the number of Chinese births regis- tered this year shows a proportion of 228 males to 100 females.

During 1903 there died in the Convents 455 children of 1 month of age and under-186 males and 269 females. There were found by the Police in the harbour, streets and on the hillside 92 male children, 50 female und 4 stillborn sex unknown--a total of 146.

If these figures be added to the number of Chinese births to obtain a cor- rected birth-rate as has usually been the custom, the birth-rate would become 5·02 per 1,000 for the whole Colony.

For the Chinese Community alone the addition of the above figures to the Chinese births will give a corrected birth-rate for the Chinese Community of 4:39 per 1,000. Without this correcting factor the Chinese birth-rate becomes 2.43 per 1,000.

It is however probable that even this corrected figure is too low and that comparatively few births amongst the poorer classes of Chinese are registered.

DEATHS.

The deaths registered during the year numbered 6,185 as compared with 6,783 in 1902. The general death-rate for 1903 is therefore 18.9 as compared

with 21.7 in 1092.

If

This is the lowest death-rate recorded during the last twenty-one years. the Naval and Military populations and deaths be excluded the death-rate becomes 19.3 per 1,000 which is lower than any annual rate recorded from 1883 to 1894 when the death-rate was thus reckoned. The lowest rate for these eleven years

was 20.7 in 1892.

During the last eight years when the Naval and Military population and deaths have been taken into account the lowest death-rate was in 1897, viz., 19·13. In 1897 however there were only 21 cases of plague so that the death-rate for 1903 (189) must be reckoned as exceedingly favourable as this year there were 1,251 deaths from plague alone. Excluding deaths from plague the death-rate for 1903 is 15.1 per 1,000; the previous lowest rate since 1894 being 17.98 per 1,000 in 1898.

The deaths amongst the Chinese community numbered 5,875 as compared with 6,431 in 1902. This gives a death-rate for Chinese of 19.1 per 1,000 as compared with 21.93 per 1,000 in 1902.

Of the Chinese deaths 3,281 were males and 2,554 were females, while 40 were of unknown sex.

At the 1901 census the females amongst the Chinese numbered 27 per cent. of the population so that the figure for female deaths is proportionately very high. The latter half of the year 1903 is noteworthy on account of the considerably less number of deaths than occurred in the corresponding half of 1902.

The following table shows the quarterly death-rates for Chinese and Non- Chinese for 1902 and 1903 respectively :-

1. Non-Chinese,.

2. Chinese,

1. Non-Chinese,

2. Chinese,

2nd quarter. 3rd quarter. 4th quarter.

1902.

1st quarter.

13.7

25.0

14.7

26.2

1903.

13.1

.24.5

17.4

25.3

20.3

26.4

13.9

17.8

16.1

20.4

14.8

16.6

This shows that the latter half of 1903 has been more healthy both for Chinese and Non-Chinese than the corresponding half of 1902. The greatest difference lies between the quarterly death-rate for Chinese during the third quarter of each year.