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5
The total births allocated to London for 1948 were:—
Live 60,934
Still 1,191
Total 62,125
The live birth rate was 17.9 per 1,000 total population. The births allocated to
London, i.e., those of mothers residing within the county are less than those actually
registered as occurring in the county owing to the fact that a number of mothers come
to be confined in London hospitals and nursing homes each year. This excess of
registered over allocated births amounts to about 9 per cent., i.e., some 5,500 births
in 1948.
The number of marriages registered was 38,527, or 22.7 persons married per 1,000
of the total population.
Prior to the war, the birth-rate in London followed the same trend as for the
country as a whole, but ran at a lower level. Immediate pre-war values per 1,000
living were :—
1931-35 13.8 average
1936 13.6
1937 13.4
1938 13.4
The birth-rates in war and post-war years have been:—
1939 13.4 1944 16.2
1940 14.3 1945 15.7
1941 13.5 1946 200
1942 15.4 1947 20.9
1943 16.1 1948 17.9
Partly as a natural consequence of the return of men from service overseas, and
partly as a result of the war-time disturbance of the normal marriage rate associated
with Service movements, the birth-rate in London, as elsewhere in the country,
reached a very high level in 1946 and 1947, greatly exceeding the pre-war level, but
the history of the period following the 1914-18 war had indicated that substantial
changes could occur in a comparatively short time, and it is not surprising that a
decline has taken place. The point of interest lies in how far the decline may proceed.
The Royal Commission on Population have affirmed that the statistical evidence laid
before them indicated that the high birth-rates of recent years were mainly due to
the postponement or anticipation of births which would under normal conditions
have been more evenly spread. As yet there has been no appreciable increase in the
average size of family nor is there any convincing sign that the lowered average age
of marriage in recent years will bring any increase in size of family. The present
average size of family is a little below replacement level.
Fertility
There were 4,240 illegitimate births (7.0 per cent. of the total live births).
Percentages in recent years are :—
London England, and Wales
1938-42 6.6 4.7
1943 8.2 6.3
1944 9.3 7.2
1945 11.4 9.4
1946 8.0 6.7
1947 6.7 5.3
1948 7.0 5.4
The peak of the war-time rise occurred in 1945, and the trend has since been
downward. The percentage for 1948 though slightly higher than in 1947 is not
Illegitimacy