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12
COMMENTS ON THE VITAL STATISTICS.
POPULATION.
The Census taken during 1931 showed that the population of the borough was 150,928
but the Registrar-General's estimate of the population for the year 1935 was 143,600. This
latter figure has been used for the compilation of the various rates mentioned in this report.
The natural increase of the population (excess of births over deaths) varies from
200—300 each year so that the drop of apparently 7,000 in the population since the Census
of 1931 is due to migration to the outer belt of London. Within limits this tendency is
desirable and there is no doubt that Fulham's 1,700 acres will always be fully inhabited.
It will be remembered that despite higher estimates in intervening years the actual Census
enumeration of 1931 and 1921 showed a decline of 7,000 in the population during the ten
years. There are still eighty-eight persons per acre in Fulham, only nine of the twenty-eight
other London boroughs having a higher density.
The natural increase in 1935 was 327 compared with 164 during 1934.
MARRIAGES.
The number of marriages during 1935 was 1,479 and the marriage rate (the number of
marriages per 1,000 of the population) was 10.29. In the previous year the number of
marriages was 1,336 and the rate was 9.39.
BIRTHS.
During the year the live births, corrected by the distribution of those occurring in
lying-in institutions in the borough to those districts in which the mothers resided, and the
inclusion of children born to Fulham mothers in institutions outside the borough, numbered
1,989, of whom 1,031 were males and 958 were females. The birth rate (the number of live
births per 1,000 of the population) was 13.8, an increase of 0.1 compared with 1934. The
birth rate for the whole of London was 13.3 and for England and Wales 14.7.
STILLBIRTHS.
The number of stillbirths during 1935 was 65 compared with 57 during the previous
year. The stillbirths amounted to 31.6 per 1,000 of the total births (live and stillbirths).
The corresponding rate for England and Wales was 32.17. On the basis of stillbirths per
1,000 of the population the local rate is 0.45 as against 0.62 nationally and 0.52 in the
administrative county.
ILLEGITIMACY.
The illegitimate live births numbered 103 (49 males and 54 females) during 1935
compared with 110 for the previous year, and constituted 5.2 per cent, of the total live births.
DEATHS.
During the year ended December 31st, 1935, 1,353 deaths were registered as having
occurred in the borough. Of these 129 were of persons not belonging to the borough while
438 inhabitants of Fulham died outside the borough, chiefly in public institutions. There
were, therefore, 1,662 deaths of persons, 829 males and 833 females, having their usual
residence in Fulham, representing an annual crude death rate of 11.6 per 1,000 of the population.
This rate is 1.0 below that of the previous year and 1.4 above that of 1933. The death
rate for England and Wales was 11.7 and for London 11.4.