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15
Birth-Rate.—The birth-rate for the Borough of 15.0 per
thousand of population is in marked contrast to the rate of 12.7
in 1933, which was the lowest ever recorded. The birth-rate for
the past year has not been exceeded in any year since 1923 and
during this period has only been equalled on one occasion, in 1931.
An interesting comparison with the birth-rates for previous years
is to be found on page 13.
It is noteworthy that for the first time on record the birthrate
for the Borough is higher than the rate recorded for England
and Wales, which is 14.8 per thousand of population.
The distribution of the births among the twelve wards which
compri6e the Borough, is shown in the table on the previous page.
From this table it will be seen that the birth-rates for the seven
wards which formed the old Borough are all well below the rate
for the Borough as a whole, while the birth-rates for those wards,
which prior to 1926 were outside the Borough and which since
that year have rapidly developed, are all much higher than the
general birth-rate.
Death-Rate.—For the second year in succession the number
of deaths of residents of the Borough shows a slight decrease,
despite the increased population. The total of 1,267 deaths
gives a death-rate of 9.5 per thousand of population, a very satisfactory
figure. On two occasions only have more favourable
death-rates been recorded, 1913 with a rate of 8.7, and 1914 with
a rate of 9.4 per 1,000 of population. Comparisons with the
rates for England and Wales (11.8) and with the rates for the
Borough in previous years are to be found on page 13, while the
distribution of the deaths among the twelve wards, together with
the death-rates for each ward are given on page 14.
The Registrar-General has supplied this year a " comparability
factor ' by which it is possible to obtain a more correct comparison
between the death-rates of individual districts and the country
as s whole. It will be appreciated that a district with a high
percentage of elderly people is likely to have a high death-rate,
while a district with a preponderance of young people will be likely
to have a low death-rate. To eliminate this variation in the
character of the population the Registrar-General has issued a series
of " comparability factors " which are based on the age-groups