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4
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1914.

Marriage
rates —
London.
Marriages
of minors.
Birth rates
in London
sanitary
districts.
On comparing the values for males it is observed that from age 55 onwards the expectation of life calculated
on the mortality in 1901-1910 is greater than on the experience of 1911-12 ; in actual fact, however,
if the correction above referred to had been made in calculating the values for 1911-12, the expectation
in the latter period would have exceeded that of 1901-1910. The increase in expectation of female
lives from 55 upwards in 1911-12 over 1901-10 would also have been greater than appears from the table.
Marriages.
The number of marriages in the Administrative County of London in 1914, was 43,366 (365 days)
giving an annual rate of 19 2 persons married per 1,000 living. The marriage-rate in successivc
periods is given in table I, page 40.
The accompanying diagram (A) shows the marriage-rate in each year since 1850, in relation to
the mean marriage-rate of the period 1851-1914. It will be seen that in recent years the highest
marriage-rates were attained in 1882, 1891 and 1898 ; the rate then fell to a minimum of 16 9 in 1908 and
1909 (the point previously touched in 1887 and 1888) and has since shown recovery to 19.2 in 1914
In the year 1914, among males 3 4 per cent, married were under 21 years of age, and
among females 11.4 per cent.; the figures for previous years are shown in table I, page 40.
It will be seen that the proportion of male and female minors in every 100 marriages has been diminishing
for a number of years, but there is some indication of a pause in the decline.
Births.
The number of births in the Administrative County of London in 1914 (52 weeks) was 109,667,
giving a birth-rate of 24.3 per 1,000 persons living per annum. The birth-rate in successive periods
is shown in table I, page 40.
The diagram (B.) facing this page shows the London birth-rate in each year since 1850, in relation
to the mean birth-rate of the period 1851-1914. In connection with this diagram it should be noted
that the registration of births was not made compulsory until the beginning of 1875; before that year
many births were probably unregistered. From the year 1885 onwards the number of births has been
corrected as far as possible by the exclusion of those which occurred in the chief lying-in institutions
in cases where the mother resided outside the County of London.