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7
Vital Statistics.
The Registrar-General's estimate of the 1948 mid-year population
of Battersea was 116,500 as compared with 114,960 in 1947. The
population of Battersea at the census taken in April, 1931, was 159,552,
and the Registrar-General's estimate for 1948, therefore, indicates a
decrease of 43,052 (or 27 per cent.) since the census, but an increase of
1,540 during 1947/8.
The Registrar-General's estimate of the mid-year population of
the Borough (116,500) has been adopted for the purpose of the statistics
contained in this Report.
BIRTHS.
The number of live births registered in the Borough during 1948
was 2,527 (1,271 male, 1,256 female). Of this number 1,112 were
transferred out, the permanent residence of the parents being outside
the Borough, and 833 registered outside the Borough were transferred
in, giving on balance a total of 2,248 births (1,104 male, 1,144 female,
an excess of 40 females) relating to Battersea residents, and a live birth
rate of 19.30 per 1,000 of the population. This is a decrease of 3.86 on
that of 1947.
Of the Battersea births (live and still) which occurred within the
Borough, 909 were " domiciliary births."
Illegitimate births numbered 158, or 7.0 per cent. of the live births.
The number of births occurring in each quarter of the year is
shown in the table on page 13.
The live birth rate for the County of London was 20.1 per 1,000
of the population, and for England and Wales the rate was 17.9.
Still-Births.
The registration of still-births is made compulsory by the Births
and Deaths Registration Act, 1926.
During 1948 there were 58 still-births registered in Battersea, of
which 22 were of Battersea parents. 24 still-births occurring outside
the Borough were registered as belonging to Battersea, making 46 in
all, representing a still-birth rate of 20.05 per 1,000 births (live and still)
registered. Of the 46 still-births 3 (6.5 per cent.) were registered as
iilegitimate.