Annual report on the social and economic progress of the people of Northern Rhodesia.

  • Colonial Office
Date:
[1936]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the social and economic progress of the people of Northern Rhodesia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/50 page 8
    COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL III.—POPULATION. The first census of the territory took place on the 7th May, 1911, prior to the amalgamation in the same year of North- Eastern and North-Western Rhodesia under the title Northern Rhodesia; the second was held on the 3rd May, 1921, and the third on the 5th May, 1931. The following table shows the increase of population since 1911 (the figures for European population for 1931 are census figures, whilst all those for African population are taken from the annual Native Affairs Reports): — Increase Year. Europeans, per cent. 1911 ••• L497 1921 ... 3,634 143 1931 ... 13,846 381 Proportion of Africans Increase to one Africans. per cent. European. 821,063 — 548H7 979,704 19 269*59 U372,235 40 99 The increase in the number of Europeans between 1921 and 1931 was due to the influx which took place during the develop¬ ment of the copper mines in the Ndola district between 1927 and 1931. The mines had nearly completed construction to¬ wards the end of the year 1931 and a considerable number of Europeans left the territory in consequence. The economic depression which set in towards the end of the same year was the cause of a further drop of 23*7 per cent, during 1932. In 1933 and 1934 an increase was brought about by the renewed activity at the copper mines. The European population is now in the region of 10,500. The numbers of Asiatics and non-native coloured persons in the territory at the 1931 census amounted to 176 and 425 respec¬ tively. The African population in 1934 was estimated to be 1,366,425, which showed a decrease of 4,788 or *34 per cent, on the pre¬ vious year, and its average density through the territory was 4*7 to the square mile. No count of the native population has since been made but so far as is known there has been little change. Immigration. Ten thousand seven hundred and fifty-five persons entered Northern Rhodesia during 1936. This number includes immi¬ grants, returning residents, visitors, tourists and a small per¬ centage of persons in transit. The immigrants numbered 1,212, of whom 1,115 were British subjects, and 97 alien, the per¬ centage of aliens being 8* 01. The following comparative table of immigrants shows the progress of the territory. 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. 1931. 1932. 1933• 1934■ 1935• 1936. 1,038 1,066 1,861 3,651 1,702 615 801 1,726 1,352 1,212
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