London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
COUNTY OF LONDON REPORT CENSUS, 1951
| Acreage, Population and Persons per Acre : | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acreage | Population | Persons per Acre | |||
| 1931 | 1951 | ||||
| County of London | 74,850 | 4,397,003 | 3,347,982 | 44.7 | |
| Islington (Metropolitan Borough) | 3,092 | 321,795 | 234,632 | 76.2 | |
| Wards— | |||||
| No. 1 Tufnell | 412 | 33,409 | 30,239 | 73.4 | |
| No. 2 Upper Holloway | 299 | 32,874 | 24,942 | 83.4 | |
| No. 3 Tollington | 316 | 31,005 | 25,623 | 81.1 | |
| No. 4 Lower Holloway | 407 | 38,327 | 27,787 | 68.3 | |
| No. 5 Highbury | 415 | 32,247 | 25,307 | 61.0 | |
| No. 6 Mildmay | 331 | 26,933 | 23,284 | 70.3 | |
| No. 7 Thornhill | 178 | 29,452 | 15,558 | 87.4 | |
| No. 8 Barnsbury | 138 | 21,356 | 13,209 | 95.7 | |
| No. 9 St. Mary | 150 | 19,016 | 13,585 | 90.6 | |
| No. 10 Canonbury | 290 | 29,269 | 20,181 | 69.6 | |
| No. 11 St. Peter | 156 | 27,907 | 15,917 | 102.0 | |
Percentage Distribution of Population by Age :
| 0—4 | 5—14 | 15—44 | 45—64 | 65 & over | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County of London | 8.1 | 11.5 | 45.3 | 24.0 | 11.1 |
| Islington | 8.5 | 12.0 | 45.5 | 22.9 | 11.1 |
COMMENTS ON VITAL STATISTICS
CENSUS, 1951—County of London Report, received 1953.
Distribution of Population within the Borough.
It will be noted from the extracted figures from the Registrar-General's County
Report that the population density for the Borough of 76.2 persons per acre compares
very unfavourably with the average of 44.7 for the County of London. The Census
thus confirmed that Islington is one of the most densely populated areas of London,
and whilst some boroughs have quite considerable variations of population density
from Ward to Ward, there is a very high density in Islington in every Ward.
The most congested Ward is St. Peter, with a density of 102 persons per acre,
followed by Barnsbury with a figure of 95.7. However, the Registrar-General's
table also shows that even the present population congestion is considerably less,
in most Wards, than in 1931.
From the table of Population Distribution by Age, it will be noted that 11.1
per cent. are over the age of 65, which is equivalent to 26,050 at the time of the
Census.
Births.
As was noted in last year's Report, the birth-rate has again increased, although
slightly, and this would appear to be in accordance with the National trend, which
seems to reverse the post-war fall in the birth-rate down to 1951.
The proportion of births classified as illegitimate remains fairly constant at
7.5 per cent. of all the 1953 births.
Principal Causes of Death.
The general death-rate at 11.4 is a reduction on the death-rates for the previous
two years, and the principal factors which have contributed to this fall are mentioned
below.