ENG-1954 — Page 149

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT, 1954

Births and Deaths

Following the trend of the last few years, the birth rate continued at a very high level, whilst the death rate remained at a relatively low level. The following table gives the statistics of births and deaths for the last

five years :-

Year

Births

Birth Rate per 1,000 of Population

Death Rate

Deaths

per 1,000 of Population

1950 ....

60,600

26.8

18,465

8.2

1951......

68,500

34

20,580

10.2

1952.

71,976

32

19,459

8.6

1953

75,544

33.6

18,300

8.1

1954

83,317

36.6

19,283

8.5

Perhaps the main reason for the Colony's high birth rate is the young age grouping of the Colony which is due principally to the post-war influx of young people from China seeking work. The same factor to some extent explains the low death rate but the effective control of epidemic and killing diseases is probably the main reason for this.

The maternal mortality rate in 1954 was 1.24 per 1,000 births compared with 0.97 in 1953 and 1.14 in 1952. The infant mortality rate was 72.4 per 1,000 live births compared with 73.6 in 1953 and 77.1 in 1952. The infant mortality rate has fallen steadily since the war and, if the war years are excluded, over the last 25 years. All births are registered and the credit for the present low figure rests with the well-trained midwives and registered medical practitioners who deliver 97% of all births.

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