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There was not much change in the death-rates in the first three decennia, but in 187180
and later periods the mortality has continuously declined, the decrease being
greater generally speaking at the younger ages. Taking the rates for the three years
1920-22 as 100, for each age-group and sex, the rates in the ten-year period 18-11-50
were as follows :—
Period. 0- 5- 10- 15- 20- 25- 35- 45- 55- 65— 75- 85 +
Males.
1920-22 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
1841-50 244 333 245 225 239 248 226 185 163 149 136 121
Females.
1920-22 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
1841-50 258 330 238 218 234 265 264 214 193 170 149 133
The decrease in mortality is specially marked at school ages, a fact which is
discussed on p. 60.
The London of 1841 was more limited in area than in these days, but the density
of population was in some parts greater. The contrast in mortality shown in the
table is determined not so much by the degree of urbanisation as the extent to
which the conditions of urban life have become in course of time subjected to
scientific administration.
London has an everchanging population and of the number of persons
enumerated at ages 45-55 in 1911, 46 per cent. were not born in London, while
a calculation from the life-tables shows that only about one-half of the Londoners
by birth who on the London experience had survived to the age 45-55, were in
1911 still living in the county.
Dr. Greenwood, in a paper read before the Statistical Society in May, 1924,
noted that the male death-rates at higher ages in England and Wales compared
unfavourably with those of Sweden. He says:—" In 1901-10 an Englishman of
45 living in England had a third greater chance of dying within a year than had a
Swede living in Sweden." One of the factors concerned in producing this result
is migration. The extent of inflow of males at higher ages from the country into
London was considered in the Annual Report for 1920, p. 14, and its prejudicial