Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1963, Blaðsíða 220

Public Health in Iceland 1963. — A Summary.
1. The climatic conditions were on the whole rather unfavourable with
the exception of the three first months of the year and December. The
mean temperature was 0.4 centigrades (C) below the average.
In spite of persistent unrest in the labour market, which culminated
in a widespread strike at the end of the year, 1963 was a year of
continued prosperity and substantial economic growth. Gross national
product increased by 7.1% and per capita product thus by 5.1%. The
current value of gross output from fishing and fish processing in-
creased by 8.5 per cent. This in spite of the fact that the total catch
decreased by 6% in quantitative terms. The conjuncture of a favour-
able composition of the catch, a higher degree of processing, and
rising export prices turned this into a significant rise in value. Con-
struction activity increased by 20%. The volume of external trade
increased. Due to the sharp rise in internal demand imports of goods
and services increased by 18.6%, whereas exports increased by 7.1%.
The balance of payments turned unfavourable. The deficit on current
account amounted to 220 million Ikr, compared with a surplus of 355
in the previous year. This, however, did not result in a decline in the
foreign exchange position of the banks. On the contrary, this position
increased by 161 million Ikr. This improvement, as well as the deficit
on current account, was financed by net external borrowing. Cost of
living, including direct taxes and family allowances, rose by 13.3
per cent, limiting the rise in real wage rates to 1.5 per cent. The pur-
chasing power of actual after-tax earnings increased, however, con-
siderably more, or by 3.7 per cent for married workers, skilled and
unskilled, and seamen. Private consumption increased by 7 per cent,
or 5 per cent per capita. Public consumption increased by 7.5 per cent
and gross fixed asset formation by 30.7 per cent. Hospital buildings
amounted to 41.3 million Ikr, representing, in real terms, a slight
decrease from the previous year.
2. Population, Births and Deaths. The population was on December
lst 1963 186912 including Reykjavík 76401 (1962: 183478 and 74978).
The estimated midyear population was 185481 (181768). The marriage
rate was 7.9 (7.5), the live birth rate 25.9 (25.9) and the death rate 7.2
(6.8) per 1000 inhabitants. The infant mortality rate was 17.1 (17.0)
per 1000 born alive.