P-NG Figures
pp. 63-64 · Read in the full issue
Tell a Tale
The non-indigenous population of pua-New Guinea is getting bigger, linger, more evenly male and fe ile and better housed, according to I 1961 census returns recently pub hed by the Commonwealth Bureau fi Census and Statistics.
IHE figures show that the non f native population has grown by [7 per cent, since the 1954 census the population in 1961 being ,330 compared with 17,755 in 1954.
These are the so-called non ligenees or, expatriates (although er 7,000 out of the 25,000 were Hally born in the Territory), which b hardly a mention in the recent >ort of the UN Visiting Mission, is is the minority group which is II responsible for about 75 per cent.
P-NG’s export earnings, and on 10m the whole population of just out two million depends for its hnical, commercial and profes oal skills.
One interesting thing that the figures bw is that “insecurity” has not pre ttied the increase by migration al jugh most of the increase is in rt Moresby and can probably be ributed to an increase in the Public [vice and to other people on short m engagements.
Not Long Term As a long-term proposition New linea is still unattractive —proved the fact that only 1,490, or six per it., claim to have been there over years or since before the war.
These veterans, jokingly called 4’s, are a fraction of the number senior Territorians who should be iking the Territory their permanent me. Their numbers have been littled down through war casualties, istrations, insecurity, inability to just to new thinking, and the con ual irritation of undeservedly being Id up as a bad example by the rest the world.
The proportion of people under 21 s increased by 5.1 per cent, since 54; there are now 137.1 males to ery 100 females compared with 5.5 in 1954; the number of houses r person has increased; and so has t average length of residence of Dse people not born in the two fritories.
Papua’s population has increased ’ 55.1 per cent, since 1954 (9,794 ople in 1961 compared with 6,313
in 1954), and New Guinea’s has in creased by 35.8 per cent. (15,536 compared with 11,442). (Most of the combined Territory’s public servants live in Port Moresby, Papua.) Just over 91 per cent, of the non indigenous population in 1961 were British subjects. The next most numerous nationals were Americans, 2.8 per cent., Germans, 1.9 per cent., and Chinese, 1.8 per cent. (The Chinese racially form about 10 per cent, of the total non-indigenous population but most are naturalised Australians.) By far the greatest number of the British subjects were born in Aus
tralia—l2,lBl. This was an increase of 3,354 since 1954.
The greatest numerical increases for people born in other countries were United Kingdom and Ireland, 402; USA, 281; and Germany, 257.
The number of Chinese-born de creased by 106.
The number of people born in Papua and New Guinea in 1961 accounted for 29.1 per cent, of the non-indigenous population compared with 26.3 per cent, in 1954, The figures were 7,368 in 1961 and 4,473 in 1954.
Of the non - European, non indigenous population in 1961, 648
were born in China, 113 in India Pakistan, 96 in Indonesia, 56 Japan, and 167 in other Aa. countries.
People of mixed race with European parent totalled 1,788 J 1961 compared with 1,114 in 1?
Of the 1961 total, 1,127 had P-NG parent and 255 had Chinese parent.
Mixed-race people with two n European parents (one wholly partly descended from a P native), totalled 929 in 1961 c: pared with 888 in 1954. Of the t total, 279 were half-Chinese and half-Malay.
Of the non-indigenous populae born outside the two territories, 2 per cent, had lived there less ths year in 1961 and 65.1 per cent, lived there less than seven years, corresponding figures in 1954 t 28.9 per cent, and 72 per cent.
Still More Men Whereas males outnumbered J males by nearly two to one ad 1954 census (11,068 to 6,687)„ numbers in 1961 were much n even—l4,64B to 10,682, or E males to every 100 females.
Papua the ratio was 127.6 in compared with 158.1 in 1954, for New Guinea 143.6 in 1961 « pared with 169.8 in 1954.
The proportion of the indigenous population for the territories under 21 years of age: 34.6 per cent, in 1961 compared J 29.5 per cent, in 1954. For the 64 age group, the proportion was per cent, in 1961 compared with per cent, in 1954. The propoc of people aged 65 years and remained constant at 2.3 per cem The number of occupied dwe: has increased by 56.5 per cent, ii two territories since 1954 comj/ with the population increase of per cent. The number of oca: dwellings in P-NG in 1961 was ' compared with 4,703 in 1954. Bui down, the figures were—Papua, ' in 1961, 1,605 in 1954; New Gu 4,608 (3,098).
The total non-indigenous force has increased from 10,28; 13,868 since the 1954 census, , 833 listed as employers, 552 : employed, 12,064 employees anoi unpaid helpers.
The number of children not a r ing school in 1961 was 3,8995* 3,961 were at school. Children; adults not in the work force too 11,462.