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Table F shows that the expectation of life of males at age 5 has improved from 47.49 years to
50.77 years, and that of females at the same age from 50.87 years to 54.42 years, a gain of 3.28 years
for males and 3.55 years for females, each expectation having improved by about 7 per cent. This
means that every 14 children aged 5 in 1881-90 had expectation of as much future lifetime as 15
children of the same age had in 1861-70. At subsequent ages there is in all cases an improvement,
though relatively less than at age 5, showing that the greater part of the gain is in the periods of
youth and early maturity.*
As far as they go the decreased mortality and the consequent improvement in expectation of life
are matters for congratulation, but we have not yet compared the mortality and vitality of the
inhabitants of London with those of other places. The latest existing life table for the whole of
England and Wales relates to the period 1871-80, and we must await the publication of the Registrar
General's forthcoming decennial supplement before we can compare the results for London in 1881-90
with those for the whole country in the same period. A comparison of the present London table with
that for England and Wales in 1871-80 (Table G) is somewhat favourable to London as regards females,
and on the whole unfavourable as regards males ; but it must not be overlooked that the mortality in
the whole country was considerably less in 1881-90 than it had been in 1871-80, and it may therefore be
expected that the new table for England and Wales will show the expectations of life of both sexes in
London to be less than those in the country as a whole.

A comparison of the death rates in London and in England and Wales in 1881-90 is favourable
to London for males between 10 and 25 years of age and for females between 10 and 35 years of age,
and for both sexes over 85 years, but unfavourable at all other ages, as may be seen from Table H.
The low mortality of males at ages 10 to 25, and of females at ages 10 to 35 in London is doubtless
in great measure attributable to immigration from the rural districts.
* In connection with the question of how much of this gain may be due to the introduction into London of healthy lives by immigration
of persons born out of London, it is interesting to observe that in 1871 36.0 per cent. of the males and 37.6 of the females in the
London population were born out of London, while in 1891 the numbers were respectively 33.5 and 35.3 per cent.