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2 population
the month's average. For the whole year the volume of water passing over the weir was
(approximately) 49 per cent. below the average. In normal times the Water Board can only
take a fixed proportion of water from the river, the amount being regulated by the
measurements at Teddington. But for that regulation having been relaxed, the public would
have incurred real hardship through shortage of water supply. It is somewhat remarkable
that the vital statistics for the past year do not disclose any injury to public health which can
be attributed to deficient water supply.
B. VITAL STATISTICS.
I—POPULATION.
According to the Census taken on the night of 19th-20th June, 1921, the population of
the Borough was 144,273 persons, of whom 60,540 were males and 83,733 females. That total
represents an increase during the ten years 1911-21 of 1,722 persons, equal to 1 per cent. of
the population in 1911. The last Census was the first occasion since 1871 that an increase in
the population has been recorded. Up to the time of writing the Preliminary Report of the
Census is the only document issued. It is not thought desirable to discuss the results of the
Census on this occasion. It is, however, permissible to observe that there is reason to think
that the total given above understates the actual number of residents of the Borough.
No attempt has been made by the Department to frame any estimate of the population at
the middle of 1921, and where any rates based on the total population are given, it is to be
understood that the estimate of 145,600 persons furnished by the Registrar-General has been
used.
II.—BIRTHS.
The increase in fertility reported in the last Report was not maintained during the past
year when the corrected number of births was 2,859 or 554 fewer than in 1920, equal to
a decrease of 16.2 per cent. During the quinquennium 1911-15 the annual average was 2,927,
that for 1916-20 being 2,505, last year's total showing a decrease of 68 (2.4 per cent.) from the
first average and an increase of 354 (14.1 per cent.) above the second. The annual average for
the five war years (1915-19) was 2,365—494 (17.2 per cent.) less than the total for last year.
(see Table II.)
As has already been stated there is reason to think that the population enumerated at the
recent census understates the actual number of residents of the Borough. On this occasion
there is no alternative but to use the estmate of the population at the middle of year furnished
by the Registrar-General, continuing the practice which was adopted during the war. On
that basis the birth-rate for the past year was 19.63 per 1,000 persons, 3.10 less than the rate
for 1920 but 2'09 above the mean rate for 1919-20. (See Table II.)
The arguments in favour of using Index Numbers rather than rates have been sufficiently
set out in previous Reports. Taking the average for 1909-13 (3,008) as the standard (=100)
the Index Number for the Borough for last year was 90 as compared with 113 and 77 for 1920
and 1919. Table III., gives the Index Numbers for the Wards. The greatest change during
last year is that observed in Lancaster Gate, East, Ward (a fall of 27 points.)
The 2,859 births comprised 1434 of males and 1,425 of females, equivalent to 993 births
of females to 1,000 of males. During 1914-18 the ratio was 955: 1,000; in 1919, 967: 1,000;
and in 1920, 914: 1,000.
Illegitimate Births.—The 2,859 births included 224 of illegitimate children, 7.8 per cent. of
the total, as compared with 7.1 per cent. in 1920 and 9.7 in 1919. Among the births registered
last year within the Borough, the births of illegitimate children constituted 7.4 per cent. of the
total, the percentage among births transferred from outlying areas being 20.7. The variations
in the proportions of illegitimate births recorded in the Wards of the Borough are shown below.