Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1964, Qupperneq 164

Public Health in Iceland 1964. — A Summary.
1. The climatic conditions were on the whole rather favourable. The
mean temperature was 0.5 centigrades (C) above the average.
The year was one of continued prosperity and substantial economic
growth. Gross national product increased by 5.4 per cent, and per
capita by 3.5 per cent, as the population increased by 1.8 per cent. Due
to favourable trends of the terms of trade, real national income increa-
sed still more. Industrial peace was maintained, and in June a general
frame agreement was made between the Government, The Federation
of Labour and The Employers’ Association, laying down the guiding
principles for moderate wage settlements by the individual unions.
The current value of gross output from fisheries and fish processing
increased by 24 per cent, or by the same percentage as the volume of
total catch. Construction activity increased by 14 per cent. The volume
of external trade increased considerably, imports of goods and services
by 16.2 per cent and exports by 14.8 per cent. The external current
account showed a deficit amounting to 344 mill. Ikr. The foreign ex-
change reserves, however, continued to increase due to external bor-
rowing. Cost of living, including direct taxes and family allowances,
rose by 19.2 per cent, limiting the rise in real wage rates to 3.4 per
cent. The purchasing power of disposable earnings increased, however,
considerably more, or by 6.8 per cent for married workers, skilled and
unskilled, and seamen. Private consumption increased by 5.2 per cent
and gross fixed asset formation by 17.6 per cent. Hospital buildings
amounted to 93.5 mill. Ikr. and increased in real terms by 97.4 per cent
from the previous year.
2. Population, Births and Deaths. The population was on December
lst 1964 190230 including Reykjavik 77220 (1963: 186912 and 76401).
The estimated midyear population was 188848 (185481). The marriage
rate was 8.3 (7.9), the live birth rate 25.3 (26.0) and the death rate 6.9
(7.2) per 1000 inhabitants. The infant mortality rate was 17.5 (17.1)
per 1000 born alive.