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14
POPULATION
The Registrar General has submitted his estimate of the popula—
tion of Greenwich, computed at mid-year 1954, upon which the
Statistics of this Report have been based. The figure returned is
90,600, indicating an increase in the population of 160 since last
year and 754 since the 1951 Census. The current figure shows an
advance of 26,800 over that for 1945.
The natural increase for the year, i.e., excess of births over
deaths was 559.
Generally speaking it would appear that births have settled at
a level sufficient for each generation to replace itself and the popula—
tion should therefore remain comparatively stable.
In recent years much has been made of the fact that the popula—
tion is ageing and this has led to a popular misconception that
people nowadays live to a greater age than before. Although it is
true to say that many more people are reaching the age of 65 years
today than formerly, the chances of these people becoming centenar—
ians is little better now than it was some 100 or so years ago. Perusal
of the following data will make the position more readily under—
stood :—

Thus, although the expectation of life at birth for the male
has risen some 27 years since 1841, over the same period his
expectation of life at the age of 65 has increased by a mere 1.2
years. Even for females who normally experience greater longevity
the increase at 65 years is only 3 years.