London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of Westminster 1922
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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years of age. Consequently a postponement of marriage to more mature
years must lead to a decreased birth-rate.
The proportion of married females between the ages of 15 and 45 in the population of Westminster wa3 at the three last Census periods per 1,000
| - | Under 25. | 25-35. | 35-45. |
|---|---|---|---|
The proportion under 25 in 1921 would have been less but for the
increase in marriages after the war. There are no data applicable to
this country upon which exact calculations can be made, but it is evident
from the above figures that a reduction in the birth-rate must be expected,
as there are more married women at the higher ages. On a rough estimate
based on the married women's ages, taking 1901 at 100, the number of
births which might be expected in 1911 should equal 79 and in 1921, 69,
but those which actually occurred were less, viz., 69 in 1911 and 63 in
1921. Consideration must also be given to the ages of the husbands.
It would involve a complicated actuarial operation—if the full facts were
available—to determine the precise effect, but generally it may be pointed
out that whereas in 1901, 59 per cent, of the husbands were under 45
years of age, in 1921 the percentage had fallen to 49. It appears that in
1901, 8.7 wives under the age of 45 were married to older men and in 1921
the figure had risen to 20. There are other factors bearing on the subject,
such as race and religion, in regard to which changes have taken place
in Westminster, but data are not available. The above must be taken
therefore as merely indications of probable causes in the diminution in
the birth-rate so far as it affects the City.
The Registrar estimates the population of Westminster for the year
1922 to be 141,800, but for calculating the death rate he deducts the
military population, leaving 139,389 as representing the civil population.
The number of births registered in Westminster in 1922 was 1,347,
of these the home address of 81 was elsewhere, and therefore these
haye to be deducted, but 629 children were born to residents of Westminster
in institutions in other parts of London; adding thfese the nett
number was 1,895, a reduction of 24 on the figure for the year 1921.
The fluctuations in past years are showh below.
The birth-rate was 13.4 per 1,000 persons; the London birth-rate
was 21.4 and for England and Wales 20.6, both showing a decrease on
the 1921 rates.