View report page

9
Births, Marriages and Deaths.
The Census.
The Registrar-General has issued his Preliminary Report on the
twelfth Census of the Population of England and Wales, taken on the
3rd April, 1911. The enumeration shows that the population
increased since 1901 from 32,527,843 to 36,075,269, an increase of
10-9 per cent. While the population is numerically greater than in
any previous decennium, this is the lowest rate of increase on record,
the rates for the two previous decennia being 11.65 and 12.17,
respectively. The rate of increase of population depends on two
factors (1) the balance between births and deaths, and (2) the
balance between outward and inward passenger movements. The
net gain of population by excess of births over deaths, which had
been 15.09, 13.97 and 12.39 per cent, in the three preceding
decennia, rose in the period 1901-1911 to 12.44, a result due to the
counter-balancing of a great reduction of the birth-rate by a still
greater reduction of the death-rate. The loss by the balance of
passenger movements was nearly half a million persons as compared
with 68,000 in 1891-1901 and over 600,000 in 1881-1891.
With regard to the rate of increase or decrease in country areas,
the report shows that some of the highest increases occurred in the
counties surrounding the Metropolis, viz., Middlesex, Surrey, Essex,
and Hertfordshire, in each of which the increase was over 20 per
cent. Kent, however, shows an increase of only 8.8 per cent. The
Census just taken shows the increasing predominance of the urban
over the rural population. In 1901 the urban population of England
and Wales was 77 per cent, of the total, and the rural population
23 per cent. In 1911 the figures are 78.1 and 21.9, respectively.
The rate of increase in rural districts has, however, risen in the
intercensal period from 2.9 to 10.2 per cent, while in urban districts
the rate has fallen from 15 .2 to 11.1 per cent.
London furnishes the most remarkable instance of decline of
population in the central portions of large cities. The process of
decentralisation which at first affected the inner districts of
London only, has gradually affected a much wider area until in
1901-1911 only nine of the 28 Metropolitan Boroughs showed an
increase of population. These Boroughs, which are mainly those
farthest removed from the centre, are Hampstead, Hackney, Fulham,
Hammersmith, Wandsworth, Camberwell, Greenwich, Lewisham
and Woolwich. The Boroughs showing the highest increases
are Wandsworth, 34·3 per cent; Lewisham, 26·2 per cent.; and
Fulham, 11·7 per cent. Of the 20 Metropolitan Boroughs showing