View report page

The regions with balanced migration are affected in opposite directions by natural
increase. Wales, with a very low natural increase, has a low share of the overall increase.
The South East, on the other hand, has a slightly higher than average overall population
increase because of the high rate of natural increase reflecting the low death rates in
the Metropolitan Area.
LIVE BIRTHS
There were 5,457 live births registered in the borough during the year. After
correction for place of residence (inward transfer 187, outward transfer 1,941), the
number allocated to the borough was 3,703, comprising 1,899 boys and l,804 girls, a decrease
of 164 from 1965, giving a crude birth rate of 18.20 per 1,000 population compared with
18.90 last year. When adjusted by the Registrar-General's area comparability factor for
the borough, which makes allowances for differences in the age and sex distribution of
the population throughout the country, the rate is 17.00, compared with 17.7 for England
and Wales.
ILLEGITIMATE LIVE BIRTHS
The number of illegitimate live births during the year was 431, equivalent to 11.64%
of the total live births, compared with 12.33% last year.
STILLBIRTHS
This year stillbirths numbered 63, equivalent to a rate of 16.73 per 1,000 total
births compared with 14.77 in 1965. The rate for England and Wales was 15.3.
DEATHS
The number of deaths registered - 2,245, shows a decrease of 35 from the figure of
last year. The death rate was 11.08, and when adjusted by the comparability factor becomes
12.63 as compared with 11.7 for the country as a whole. The largest single cause of death
was heart disease - 28% of total deaths, followed by cancer 21% and respiratory conditions
18%.
The various causes of death and distribution by age groups are set out in Table I,
on page 95 .
INFANT MORTALITY
Deaths during the first year of life numbered 62 equivalent to a rate of 16.74 per
1,000 live births. The rate for the previous year was 19.65 and 22.4 for 1964. Minor
fluctuations occur in years in the same decade but generally the downward trend continues:
in 1931 the comparable rate for the area was 77 per 1,000 live births and in 1921 almost
11.