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8
COMMENTS ON VITAL STATISTICS
Births
The increases in recent years in the births and birth-rates continued in 1961. For
the first time the birth-rate (23 8 per thousand population) exceeded that of the peak year
of the post-war • 'bulge" , 1947, when the rate was 23.55. It seems likely that the increase
will continue and, as I commented in my Annual Report last year, those concerned with the
future planning of health services, housing, schools, and general services should take this
population trend into account.
13 6 per cent, of all 1961 births were classified as illegitimate. This rate also
continues to rise and the social significance of the increase, together with the population
groups most affected, would repay further study
Population
The mid-year estimated population, 227, 170, shows a considerable increase over the 1960
figure. Whilst due mainly to the decennial adjustment in calculation based upon the 1961
Census, nevertheless this rise reverses the trend, since 1951, of a steady fall in population,

It should be noted in connection with the above Census figures that the Registrar
General's estimate of population for mid-year, 1960 was 222,940, and since the Registrar
General has made an annual allowance for a decrease of population from 1951 onwards, it
will be apparent that the Census population is substantially more than was estimated. It
will be noted also that the intercensal decrease of 2.9 per cent,,, for Islington,was
substantially less than the corresponding percentage of 4.6 for the whole of the County of
London, The decrease in the population has not been uniform The Census gave intercensal
increases in population for the following boroughs:- Hampstead; Kensington, Stoke Newington
and Wandsworth, and the majority of London Boroughs have, therefore, lost population to a
greater extent than 4.6 per cent., in the years 1951/1961.
Another point of interest from the Census return is that the number of males was 412
more in 1961 than in 1951, as against a reduction in the number of females by 7,231 This
feature would appear to be peculiar to Islington since the County of London figures show
a reduction of males in the intercensal period, although the reduction of females was more
than twice as great
Further Census details will be published in due course and will, no doubt, provide
valuable information on population changes since 1951 which, in this Borough, have been
quite considerable.