London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hampstead 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hampstead Borough]
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2
Public Health Department,
33, Lancaster Grove,
Hampstead, N.W.3.
16th June, 1953.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have pleasure in submitting to you my Annual Report for the
year 1952.
The population of Hampstead, according to the Registrar General's
mid-year estimate is 97,700, which is a decrease of 50 on the figure for
1951. It differs in some aspects from that of the population at large,
and I set it out according to sex and age groups in order to compare it
with the country as a whole, as given in the one per cent, sample of the
1951 census. It will be seen immediately that whilst 52 per cent, of the
population at large is female, in Hampstead this percentage is as high
as 61 per cent.
| Hampstead (in 100's). | National (in 100,000's). | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Total: 1921 | 33,3 (39%) | 52,9 (61%) | - | - |
| 1931 | 34,9 (39%) | 54,0 (61%) | - | - |
| 1951 | 37,3 (39%) | 57,8 (61%) | 23,4 (48%) | 25,4 (52%) |
| Single | 13,4 | 25,9 | 10,4 | 10,5 |
| Married | 22,2 | 25,0 | 12,1 | 12,2 |
| Widowed or Divorced | 1,7 | 6,9 | 0,9 | 2,7 |
| 0—4 | 3,3 | 3,5 | 2,1 | 2,0 |
| 5—14 | 3,1 | 3,3 | 3,5 | 3,3 |
| 15—24 | 3,0 | 7,3 | 3,1 | 3,2 |
| 25—34 | 7,0 | 11,5 | 3,5 | 3,6 |
| 35—44 | 8,1 | 9,7 | 3,7 | 3,8 |
| 45—54 | 4,9 | 8,9 | 3,2 | 3,5 |
| 55—64 | 4,4 | 6,2 | 2,2 | 2,8 |
| 65 + | 3,5 | 7,4 | 2,1 | 3,2 |
This higher percentage of females has been a constant feature of the
Hampstead population at least since 1921. The excess would seem to
consist largely of single or widowed women and is most marked in the
age groups 15 to 35, and over 45. There is no apparent single reason
for this difference between Hampstead and the country as a whole but
it may in part be accounted for by the number of single women working
in London who have rooms in Hampstead.