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the Census figure of 4.2 as being the average number
of persons per house the population would work out at
49,186.
With a rapidly increasing area of housing in the
immediate surroundings of London, it must be a difficult
matter to give the true population figure, and estimated
figures must be taken with reservation. However, for
the purposes of calculation of the vital statistics, the
Registrar General's figure of 46,800 must be taken as
the correct one.
As it is of more importance to know the details of
the population, a reference to the Census of 1931, which
was published after the issue of my last Annual Report,
might be of interest:—
There has been a 29 per cent. increase in population
since 1921.
Females exceed males by over 5,000, and this is so
in each age group over 15 years.
Males exceed females in the age groups under 15
years.
The number of rooms exceed the number of persons
—the average working out at 0.72 persons per
room. In Bromley Common area the average
is higher, working out at 0.84 persons per room.
The conditions of over-crowding are indicated by
ihe figure, which shows that 191 families are living
more than two persons per room, although at the time
of the Census there were 198 unfurnished vacant dwellings;
118 houses were each occupied by three or more
families, but this was chiefly in the six or more room
dwellings, having in all 939 rooms.
One other interesting figure appears ir the Census
return. The average size of family has fallen from 4.04
in 1921 to 3.70 in 1931, in spite of the fall in the death
rate from 11.8 to 10.9.
II.—VITAL STATISTICS.
Births.
The number of live births as furnished by the
Registrar General after correction for inward and outward
transfers for 1932 is 605. This figure represents a