Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1941, Qupperneq 195

Public Health in Iceland 1941. — A Summary.
1. In 1041 the climatic conditions were exceptionally favourable.
I he atmospheric pressure in the whole country was 2,2 mm.
above the average. The mean temperature of the air was 2,2° above
the average. The rainfall was sligthly below the average. Yet the
sunshine in Reykjavík and Akureyri during the summer months was
°f somewhat shorter duration han usually. Business and trade con-
hitions were favourable on account of the high prices of fish and fish
products. Unemployment xvas unknown. Prices went higher and
higher, but the purchasing ])owrer of the population has never been
greater nor more general.
2. Population, births and deaths. The population was on December
3lst 1941: 122385 including Reykjavik 39739 (1940: 121579 and
•18308). The marriage rate was 8,4 (6,0), the hirth rate 21,6 (20,5) and
'he death rate 11,1 (9,9) per 1000 inhabitants. lnfant mortality wras
33,4 (35,9) per 1000 born alive.
The death rate (11,1 ) was considerably higher than in the pre-
ceding year (9,9%0). The lowest deathrate on record is 9,7^c (1939).
I'he infant mortality figure (33,4%c) is on the other hand a little
lower than last vear’s (35,9%0), the lowest figure on record being
28,3%c (1938).
3. Causes of death are shown on pages 8—14.
The ten followdng are the most common:
%c of %0 of the
Number deaths population
Accidents (all forms) 195 144,0 1,6
Canccr — Malignant Growths 189 139,6 1,5
Old Age 187 138,1 1,5
Tuberculosis (all forms) 120 88,6 1,0
Oiseases of the Heart 111 82,0 0,9
Pneumonia (lobar and lobular) 109 80,5 0,9
Apoplexy 102 75,3 0,8
Influenza ..., 38 28,1 0,3
Diseases of Infants 25 18,5 0,2
Sudden Deaths of Unknown Causes . . . 25 18,5 0,2
Othcr and Unknown Causes 253 186,8 2,1
4. Epidemic diseascs. The incidence of epidemic diseases in shown
in tables II, III and IV, 1—27.
The following table shows the incidence of epidemic diseases in
1932—1941 as also the aggregate number of dealhs from each disease
during the same period.
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