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6
Vital Statistics.
Population. The population of the county of London at the census of 20th June, 1921,
was 4,484,523, including members of the armed forces in London, but excluding
Londoners on active service elsewhere. It is estimated by the Registrar-General that
the population with residence in London at the date of the census was about 4,524,000,
allowance being made in this estimate for persons absent on holiday when the census
was taken. The Registrar-General estimates the total population in the middle of
1927 to have been 4,550,000, including 9,000 non-civilians. The estimated populations
of the metropolitan boroughs in 1927 are shown in table on page 23.
While the population of London has remained about four-and-a-half millions
since 1901. the birth-rate has fallen continuously and, as a consequence, the child
population of London has decreased considerably, the proportion of children under
fifteen years of age having fallen from 30 per cent. in 1901 to 26 per cent. at the last
census. On the other hand, the proportion of persons over thirty-five years of
age increased from 32 per cent. to 40 per cent. There is no sign of arrest in the
accelerated rate of decline in births and, assuming the present decrease, both of
births and of infantile mortality, to continue until the next census, the children
under fifteen years of age will by then form less than 20 per cent. of the total
population, while the proportion at higher ages will be still further increased. The
effect of these changes in the age-constitution of the population upon housing requirements
in London is to increase the demand for tenements and part houses. Assuming
that the number of married and widowed women may be taken as a broad indication
of the number of family units, there has, since 1901, been an increase in the number of
units of over 110,000 in a practically stationary population.
Marriages. The marriages registered in London during 1927 numbered approximately
41,301 or 18.2 per thousand of the population, the rate for each of the preceding three
years being 17.2.
Births. The births in London during 1927 numbered 73,263 as compared with 78,825
in the preceding year. The birth-rate was 16.1 per thousand as against 17.1 for 1926
and 17.9 in 1925. The lowest birth-rate recorded in London was that for the year
1918, when the effects of the war were at their maximum. In that year there were
70,976 births, this being only 2,287 less than in 1927. In the last quarter of 1927,
the births fell below the lowest number recorded for this quarter even during the war.
The decrease in the number of births in London since 1921 has averaged about 4,000
annually. In 1901, when the population was about the same, the births exceeded
those of last year by 57,829.
The birth-rate for each metropolitan borough will be found in the table on
page 23.

The increase in the number of deaths in London during 1927 over that in the
two preceding years was almost entirely due to the influenza epidemic at the
beginning of the year which resulted in a considerable increase in the mortality at
the higher ages. Associated with this epidemic there was, as in other years an