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6
Years. Death Rate.
1895 112
1896 11.8
1897 10.4
1898 11.9
1899 12.5
1900 11.8
1901 11.3
1902 10.8
1903 10.7
1904 10.4
The mean of the death rates in the 10 years prior to the
above was higher than that for the years 1895-1904. Up to
and including the year 1900 I have corrected the death rates
to correspond with the census returns of population, and
for these years the death rates are absolutely correct. Since
that year the death rates have been computed on an approximate
estimation of the population, and will be subject to
revision after the census of 1911.
There is good reason to believe from a comparison of the
figures in the Building Register that since the last census
our population has increased in a larger ratio than in the
intercensal period 1891-1901, but as on that basis there
are variations from year to year and more room for error,
I have preferred to keep to the old method and a low estimate,
which has the advantage at least of not making our
statistics appear better than they are in reality.
In 1904 our death rate was 10.4. This year it is 9.3 per
1,000, the lowest death rate for more than 20 years, and
probably the lowest ever recorded in this district.