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The decrease is equal to 101 per cent. of the 1921 population, being, with the
exception of the City of London, the largest rate of decrease in the Metropolitan
area. The decrease indicates the growing extent by which the Borough is
becoming less residential and more professional and commercial.
In the same period in the Administrative County of London, including the
City, a decrease was reported representing a numerical loss of 87,702 (2 per cent.).
Commenting on these decreases the Registrar-General in his Preliminary
Census Report says:—
" This loss . . . does little more than mark a further stage in the
" process of decentralisation which has been observed since 1901 and which
" is inseparable from the increasing commercial and industrial importance of
" the region. The decline is relatively heaviest, as would be expected, in the
" central portion, a maximum percentage decrease of 19.8 per cent. being
" recorded in respect of the City of London, followed by HOLBORN
" Metropolitan Borough with 10.1 per cent."
The density of population in Holborn based on the Census population is 95.8
persons per acre in comparison with 107 persons per acre in 1921. In the Adminis¬trative
County of London the density is 58.7 in comparison with 60 persons per
acre in 1921.
Since the publication of the Preliminary Report on the Census information
has been received from the Registrar-General estimating the " resident"
population of the Borough as 34,470 at the middle of 1931.
It may be pointed out that the figures of population given in the Preliminary
Report of the Census relate to the " enumerated " population (i.e., the persons
actually present and enumerated in the area on the Census night), whereas the
estimated population at the middle of the year relates to the " resident " popular
tion, obtained by eliminating from the enumerated population all persons whose
" usual residence " as returned at the Census was recognised by the local registrars
as being outside the boundaries of the area of enumeration, and redistributing such
visitors by (a) crediting areas containing boarding schools with numbers
corresponding to their absent boarders, and (b) distributing the balance of visitors
over all areas in proportion to their population.
It will be recognised that this variation in the Census system, providing for
the presentation of results according to the area of usual or legal residence instead
of the area of actual enumeration, must produce a much lower population figure
in a Borough where there are many hotels and boarding houses regularly occupied
by visitors.
It will be seen above that the effect of the revision in Holborn is to reduce
the enumerated population of 38,816 persons to an estimated resident population
of 34,470. The birth, death and other rates given in this Report are calculated
on the latter figure.
The character of population shows wide and striking contrasts, including as it
does the occupants of expensive residential flats, the migratory population in