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4
THE HEALTH REPORT OF COULSDON AND PURLEY
IN 1940.
INTERIM REPORT.
1. AREA AND POPULATION. There was no alteration in the area
of the Urban District during 1940. The population of the
District, however, continued to decline during the year from
approximately 54,000 in January to 45,000 in December 1940,
both figures including about 5,000 residents in the institutions
in the District. The Registrar General's estimate of the
population in mid-1940 was 50,920.
By comparison the population was just under 59,000 in
September, 1938.
VITAL STATISTICS.
BIRTHS.
During the year 626 Births were registered as
belonging to the District, of which 321 were males and 305 were
females, as compared with 762 in 1939.
This is equal to an Annual Birth Rate of 12.3 per
thousand of population, as compared with 13.5 last year, and
13.4, 12.8 and 12.5 in the preceding three years. Nationally
the Birth Rate was 14.6.
The fall in the local rate undoubtedly reflects the
voluntary evacuation from the District of a large proportion of
that section of the population having or expecting the care of
young children, especially during the second half of the year.
There were 19 illegitimate births (9 males and 10
females) registered, this being 7 less than in the preceding
year. Expressed as a percentage of total births, 3.0 were
illegitimate.
The number of stillbirths registered in 1940 was 18
(8 males and 10 females) this being 6 less than last year.
All the stillbirths occurred in legitimate children.
The local stillbirth Rate was thus 0.35 Per thousand of
population, as compared with 0.55 for England and Wales.
DEATHS.
The number of Deaths registered during the year as
belonging to this District was 588,(266 males and 322 females)
as compared with 492 in 1939.
The crude Death Rate for the year was equal to 11.5
per thousand of population, as compared with 8.9 last year.
A slight modification, however, is necessary if the rate is
to be compared with that of England and Wales, the age and sex
distribution not being typical of the Country as a whole.
The corrected Death Rate for 1940 thus becomes 10.9 per thousand
of population.
The Death Rates in England and Wales were
14.3 in 1940 and 11.9 in 1939.
(All the above rates refer to civilians.)