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4
It will be seen that, between the census of 1911 and that of 1921, the proportion
of the population in tenements living more than two per room had increased
somewhat in Deptford, Greenwich, Lewisham, Poplar, Wandsworth and Woolwich,
but in the intercensal period 1921 to 1931 there was no instance of increase in the
percentage of such tenements.
Marriages.
The marriages registered in London during 1932 numbered approximately
39,268 or 18.0 per thousand of the population, the corrected rate for the preceding
year being 18.8.
Births.
The births in London during 1932 numbered 62,233, compared with 65,684 in
the preceding year. The birth-rate was 14.3 per thousand as against 15.0 in 1931.
This is the lowest birth-rate recorded in London, the number of births being 8,743
less than in 1918, when the influence of the European War was at its height.
The birth-rate for each metropolitan borough will be found in the table on page 14.
The average annual number of births in London for the years 1930-31 was
67,565, compared with the average for 1920-22 of 105,053. In the series of short
life-tables for London discussed in the medical officer's annual report for 1923 (pp.
10-14), it was shown that the births in London since 1841 had throughout sufficed
to maintain a life-table population in excess of that of the decennial censuses. A short
life-table for the years 1930-31 shows, however, that the births in these years fell
short of maintaining the census population of 1931 by about a quarter of a million.
The decline in the births after 1900 was for many years counterbalanced by the
even more rapid decline in infantile mortality, but in more recent years the former
factor has overshadowed the latter. On comparing the results for 1930-31 with those
for 1920-22, it is found that the expectation of life at birth has increased by 4 • 5 years
for both sexes, but most of this increased expectation is due to decrease in mortality
in the early years of life—thus, at the age of 5 years the expectation is increased by
2.1 years, and at the age of 20 by only 1.4 years. A life-table for the decennium
1921-30 would not show so large an increase in expectation, as the death-rate in
1930-31 was somewhat below that of the decennial average.
The decrease in the birth-rate has a direct bearing upon future housing and education
requirements of the county, which tend to decline. In regard, however, to the
treatment of the aged sick, the indications are for increased requirements owing to
the ageing of the county population; for, after middle-age, the sickness rate increases
rapidly, and in the intercensal period 1921-31 there was an increase of more than
100,000 in the number of persons over 35.

Deaths.
The deaths in the total population of London during 1932 numbered 53,611,
giving a death-rate of 12.3 per thousand, compared with 12.4 in 1931.