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ANALYSIS OF VITAL STATISTICS
1. The Registrar General's mid-year estimate of population for
1958 is 41,200. This figure is an increase on the previous year of 250 and
an increase on 1956 of 540. The population appears to be increasing
slightly year by year although the increase is so slight as to be negligible.
The number of persons per house has dropped very slightly from 3.36
to 3.29 per house.
2. There has been an increase in the number of live births for the
year over 1957 of 48, the live births being for the year under consideration
567. The birth rate is increasing slightly but as can be seen from the graph
in which births of England and Wales and East Barnet Urban District
are shown for the last ten years the variation in the birth rate follows the
general trend for the rest of the country very closely although it is slightly
less.
The number of illegitimate births has fallen very considerably in relation
to the previous year's figures but, however, there seems to be a very wide
fluctuation in these figures year by year and no definite conclusions can
be drawn in a comparatively short period.
3. The death rate for the year shows a very slight increase over last
year and if the graph showing death rates for England and Wales and
this district is consulted it will be seen that the death rate for this district
is increasing slightly but is still below that of England and Wales.
In 1948 the gap was very much wider. However, on consideration I
think this is only to be expected as the population of the district increased
very considerably in the period 1930-1938 and the increase was largely
made up of middle-aged and elderly people. Consequently the period
through which we are now passing, that is 20 years after the large population
increase, is showing a higher death rate.
4. Infantile mortality rate 3.85 as against 22.2 in 1957. This figure is
very low indeed as the average rate is about 18. During the year there
were only two deaths of children below 1 year of age, and the death rate
of illegitimate infants is 0. As regards the statistics these figures are
entirely non-representational and can have no significance.
5. The number of deaths from Cancer during 1958 is 87 which is the
same as for 1957. Of this figure 15 were due to Cancer of the lung which
shows a very considerable decrease on 1957. However, when dealing with
small figures over periods of one year they have very little meaning.
6. In Table IV which deals with Tuberculosis there has been a total
of 24 new cases during the year. This is three cases less than there were
in 1957 and as far as this disease is concerned there is apparently over a
considerable period a gradual reduction in the number of new cases.
The number of deaths from Tuberculosis this year was three which,
although it is one higher than 1957, is a low figure and there is a
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