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29
The most prominent feature in this table is the remarkable
decrease in the birth rate which, as in all
other densely-populated localities, shews a steady diminution
year by year. This is doubtless readily explained
by the fact that the enormously increased population of
the sub-district during the last twenty years was
caused by the immigration of large numbers of young
persons of the child-producing age—and as the mean
age of the residents of the sub-district becomes greater, a
smaller number of births occur in relation to the population.
This lowering of the birth rate also tends to lower
the death rate, as the greatest mortality is found among
very young children—for instance, the death rate under
one year in the present report will be found to be 37.8
per cent. of the total mortality, that under five years
21.7 per cent., together amounting to 59.5 per cent. of
the total deaths, while the mortality at 20 years and
upwards, including as it does the inevitable mortality
of old age, amounts to but 32.7 per cent. of deaths at
all ages.
Births. The births registered during the 52 weeks included
in the year 1886, numbered 2,523, of which
number the males were 1,268, and the females 1,255.
The consequent birth-rate was 36.2, which reference to
the preceding table will shew is lower than that of any
year since 1879, slowly approximating to the birth rate
for London, 32.3, which in itself is the lowest since 1850.
Mortality. The deaths of 603 males and 526 females
were registered during 1886, the total number being
1,129, and the death rate 16.2 per thousand, exceeding
that of the preceding year by 0.2 per thousand, that
however, having been the lowest yet recorded. The
Metropolitan death rate for the year was 19.9.