Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1966, Page 184

Public Health in Iceland 1966. — A Summary.
1. The climatic conditions were on the whole rather unfavourable
with exception of the South and South West Coast in June—October.
The mean temperature was 1.1° (C) under the average of the years
1931—1960.
The year represented a turning point in the economy of Iceland.
After four years of rapid growth several factors caused a slow-down
in economic growth and dimmed the prospects for the years ahead.
The white-fish catch decreased by 11 per cent and, although there
was a substantial increase in the catch of capelin, the real value of
the fish catch decreased by 2 per cent. But more serious was the fall
in the world prices of some of the ma.ior export products. Gross
national product increased by 4.2 per cent and per capita by 2.5 per
cent, but the terms of trade remained almost unchanged for the year
as a whole. The current value of gross output from fisheries and fish
processing increased by 1.6 per cent. The agricultural production de-
creased by 2.1 per cent, the industrial production increased by 2.9 per
cent and construction activity by 10 per cent. Imports of goods and
services increased by 15.8 per cent and exports by 9 per cent. The
external current account showed a deficit amounting to 350 mill. I. kr.
Industrial peace was maintained while the wage rate rose by 19.7
per cent on the previous year. The cost of living rose by 10.6 per cent,
limiting the rise in real wages to 8.2 per cent. Private consumption
increased by 7.7 per cent, but gross fixed asset formation increased by
16.6 per cent. Hospital buildings amounted to 150.5 mill. I. kr. and
increased in real terms by 33.4 per cent from the previous year.
2. Population, Births ctnd Deaths. The population was on December
lst 1966 196933 including Reykjavík 79202 (1965: 193758 and 78399).
The estimated midyear population was 195610 (192304). The marriage
rate was 7.9 (8.1), the live birth rate 24.0 (24.5) and the death rate 7.1
(6.7) per 1000 inhabitants. The infant mortality rate was 13.6 (15.0)
per 1000 born alive.
3. Causes of Deaths are shown on pp. 66—78. The following ten are
the most common (cf. p. 80).