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Comparative occupational class statistics
As stated in the 1950 report an arrangement was sought with other
large towns in the UK to keep and compare some social-class vital
statistics. The arrangement was originally for the year 1951, but as
these statistics showed some interesting details it was decided, in order
to be more accurate, that they should be kept for three years, namely
1951, 1952 and 1953.
There are 14 towns with populations between 200,000 and 300,000,
but three of these, Harrow, Hull and Stoke, were unable to take part.
The other 11 towns, namely, Bradford, Cardiff, Coventry, Croydon,
Islington, Lambeth, Leicester, Lewisham, Newcastle, Plymouth, and
Portsmouth, all provided comparable statistics for 1951 which were
summarised briefly in my annual report of last year. For 1952 two
of them were unable to supply comparable information under certain
headings, although they supplied this information under other headings.
In the 10 towns (excluding Portsmouth) which supplied information
there were 37,250 births, giving a rate of 14-7 per thousand population,
of which 11 percent were in social classes I and II, 68 percent in class III
and 21 percent in classes IV and V. Of the notified premature births,
class III was virtually the same at 66 percent, but classes I and II
dropped to 8 percent whereas in classes IV and V there were 26 percent.
For the registered stillbirths, class III rose to 76 percent, classes I and II
were 11 and classes IV and V were 13 percent. With regard to infant
deaths, class III remained at 66 percent, classes I and II fell to
8 percent and classes IV and V rose to 26 percent. Thus, comparing
infant deaths with total births it is seen that while the social class III
percentage is approximately the same in the two categories the social
class I and II percentage has dropped from 11 to 8 and the social
class IV and V percentage has risen from 21 to 26 percent. This follows
the pattern shown in the analysis of the figures for 1951 and again