THE NEW ZEALAND OFFICIAL YEAR-BOOK 1956

Census 1956.–A population census of New Zealand (exclusive of the Island Territories of Cook Islands, Niue Island, and Tokelau Islands, and the Trust Territory of Western Samoa) was taken as for the night of Tuesday, 17 April 1956. Preliminary population figures available at the time of going to press are. given in the tables below. The 1951 census totals (adjusted, where necessary, to correspond with the 1956 boundaries) are shown for purposes of comparison.

During the five years the population of New Zealand increased by 232,878, or 12.01 per cent. The figures quoted above include Campbell Island (5 in 1951 and 7 in 1956) and Kermadec Islands (14 in 1951 and 11 in 1956), but exclude members of the armed forces overseas (1,894 in 1951 and 2,162 in 1956). The 1956 total also excludes 166 persons in the Ross Dependency on census night.

In addition to the populations shown for counties, etc., there were 9,137 at the 1956 census on islands outside county boundaries and on board ships and trains.

Figures given in the table may now be summarized as follows.

Inter-censal Population (p. 35).–Recent population changes are given in the following table.

The above figures are exclusive of the population of the Cook Islands, 16,424 (at 31 March 1956); Niue Island, 4,679 (at 31 March 1956); Tokelau Islands, 1,921 (at 31 March 1956); and Western Samoa, 97,218 (at 31 March 1956).

Natural Increase.–Owing to the uniformly high levels in births in the last few years and the relative stability in the number of deaths, population gains from natural increase–i.e., excess of births over deaths–have been particularly marked in recent years, the excess of births over deaths in 1955 at 36,451 constituting a record.

Migration (pp. 36-38).–The total number of arrivals in New Zealand during the year ended 31 March 1956 was 142,644, while the total number of departures in the same year was 133,975. Excluding crews and through passengers, arrivals totalled 66,472 and departures 58,380, making the net excess of arrivals 8,092, as compared with 7,030 in 1954-55. A classification of total arrivals and departures gives the following results.

Until 1953-54, recent statistics of the numbers of immigrants intending permanent residence had shown considerable increases–arrivals under this heading being 18,234 in 1950-51, 24,922 in 1951-52,and 29,005 in 1952-53. However, this upward trend was halted in 1953-54, when a substantial decrease of 4,109 on the previous year was shown, the total being 24,896. This downward trend continued in 1954-55, when the figure was 19,453, another drop of 5,443 on the previous year. However, 1955-56 showed an increase once again, total immigrant arrivals being 20,878, an increase of 1,425.

The resumption of assisted passages for certain classes of immigrants is reflected in the statistics. The following were the numbers arriving under this heading over the past five years: 1951-52,4,949;1952-53,7,581; 1953-54,6,299; 1954-55,4,332; 1955-56,5,123.

It will be seen from the numbers of assisted immigrants shown in the previous paragraph that they have shown the same trend as immigrants intending permanent residence. In 1955-56 unassisted immigrants rose by 4.2 per cent and assisted immigrants by 18.3 per cent compared with the previous year.

Vital statistics for the calendar years 1954 and 1955 are shown, in summary form, in the following table. Statistics in more detail for 1954 and earlier years are given on pages 58-111.

Births.–The total number of births registered in 1955 (55,676) is the highest recorded in the history of New Zealand, exceeding the previous high total in 1954 by 1,545. The birth-rate, however, is still below the high figure of 27.70 recorded in 1947.

Building Permits in Urban and Rural Districts Combined.–The following table gives a summary for New Zealand of building permits (including State building operations) for the years ended 31 March 1955 and 1956.

Building Permits Issued: Urban Districts– Urban districts include all cities, boroughs, and town districts, together with the counties of Waitemata, Manukau, Makara, Hutt, Paparua, Waimairi, Heathcote, Peninsula, and Taieri.

Building Permits Issued: Rural Districts.–Rural districts include the remaining counties of New Zealand and islands outside county boundaries.

Houses and Flats Completed.–Local authorities supplying building permit figures were also requested to supply the number of houses and flats which were completed during the year. Estimates have been made in some cases where it was not possible to supply actual figures. While absolute accuracy for these statistics cannot be claimed, it is believed they will give reasonably approximate results, and also reasonably accurate comparisons of year to year changes.

The total figures on this basis for new houses and flats completed during 1955-56 were 19,200, compared with 18,500 in 1954-55 and 16,600 in 1953-54. Those completed in urban districts numbered 14,200 in 1955-56, 13,900 in 1954-55, and 12,200 in 1953-54.

Statistics of external trade in the calendar year 1955, in continuation of the statistics included in pages 281-343 of this Year-Book, are given below.

Total Commodity Trade.–Following are statistics of exports and imports in 1953, 1954, and 1955.

The total trade per head of mean population in 1955 was £238 (exports £121 and imports £117).

Exports.–New Zealand's export commodity trade in 1955 was valued at £258-9 million, an increase of 5.9 per cent over the previous year. An indication of the movement in the value of exports in the main groups of commodities is afforded by the following table.

Apart from the question of values, a special interest attaches to progress in the volume of our export trade in major export commodities. In the following table the fluctuations in the quantities of exports of butter, cheese, meat, and wool since 1945 are shown.

Direction of Export Trade.–The table below shows the main destinations of New Zealand exports in 1955.

Exports to Commonwealth countries in 1955 accounted for 73 per cent of the total exports, excluding ships' stores.

Imports.–The table following classifies imports by broad divisions.

Direction of Import Trade–The next table shows the main sources (origin) of New Zealand's imports in 1955.

Imports from Commonwealth countries in 1955 comprised 79 per cent of the total.

Following the Census of Distribution in 1953 a continuing quarterly retail sample inquiry was inaugurated. The results of the census formed the framework from which a random sample of firms, stratified by store-type in broad geographical divisions and size of turnover, was drawn.

The actual sample inquiry is confined to just under 10 per cent of establishments, but these, on the basis of the census, represent approximately 28 per cent of total turnover. To provide the estimates presented in the following tables the figures have been expanded to represent the activity of all retail stores with the exception of hotel, motor vehicle, and motor accessory trading, which are excluded from the sample inquiry, and also from the census figures quoted by way of comparison.

Turnover by Store-types.–In the following tables details are shown for the latest periods. With one exception, furniture and soft furnishings, value of turnover increased in all store-types in the year ended 31 March 1956 as compared with the year ended 31 March 1955, the largest relative increase occurring in the chemist store-type group.

The following table covering retail trading throughout the whole of New Zealand reflects to a certain extent both the seasonal pattern of trading (e.g., milk, ice-cream, confectionery, soft drinks, etc.) and changes due to other circumstances.

Stocks.–The following table shows details of stock figures as at 31 March of the last five years; also as at 31 December 1954 and 1955.

The figures for March 1956 show a very slight decrease as compared with stocks at 31 December, 1955, but an increase of 5 per cent as compared with 31 March 1955.

Reserve Bank (p. 828).–Data showing the liabilities and assets of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand at the last balance day in May 1956 are shown below, together with the corresponding figures for the last balance day in March 1956.

Trading Banks (pp. 829-838).–The principal statistics of trading banks for the months of March and May are given below. Debits and clearings cover the weekly periods ended on the last Wednesday of the respective months, while the remaining figures are as at those dates.

An analysis of advances of the trading banks at quarterly intervals is published by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and the classification as at the last Wednesday in March of 1955 and 1956 is contained in the following table. Figures for earlier years will be found on page 834.

Overseas Assets of Banks (p. 840).–In the following table overseas assets of banks (on account of New Zealand business only) are shown.

Savings Banks (pp. 844-850).–A summary of statistics of savings banks at 31 March 1956 is given below.

Post Office Savings-bank Accounts Classified by Amount Groups (p. 846).–The following is a classification of the balances in Post Office Savings-bank accounts at 31 March 1954, 1955, and 1956, shown by amount groups and percentage of accounts within each group.

Overseas Receipts and Payments.–The following statement gives statistics of overseas exchange transactions for the years ended 31 March 1955 and 1956. Comparable items for the calendar years 1954 and 1955 are, however, given on pages 842-843. All figures quoted are taken from Reserve Bank sources.