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Rents have been reduced with the result that families which in 1901 could only
afford to rent two rooms, are now able to rent three or more at the same price.
It will thus be understood that, after a certain period since the census was
taken, the estimated population is liable to error. This will have the effect of
making the birth-rate and the death-rate higher than that given.
Births.
The total number of births registered during the year was 10,124, which
consisted of 5,257 males and 4,867 females.
1,926 belonged to the Limehouse District, or at the rate of 32.7 per 1,000
of the population.
1,982 belonged to St. George-in-the-East, or at the rate of 37.6 per 1,000
of the population.
3,914 belonged to Mile End Old Town, or at the rate of 32.8 per 1,000
of the population.
2,302 belonged to the Whitechapel District, or at the rate of 28.4 per 1,000
of the population.
The birth-rate throughout the whole Borough was 32.5 per 1,000 of the population,
while that of London as a whole was 25.2 per 1,000, which is the lowest recorded
in the Metropolis since registration was established.
The birth-rate in the Borough is lower than in the preceding year, and is in fact
the lowest on record. It has been gradually declining year by year—with one or
two exceptions—since 1896.
The birth-rate of St. George's is higher than that of the other three districts,
but is lower than in the preceding years.
The birth-rate of St. George's has been abnormally high for many years. As
mentioned in my last report, this is due mainly to the fact that in recent years,
slum areas have been cleared by private enterprise, and large model dwellings have
been erected. The latter have been occupied by a different class of people to those
that have been displaced. They have invariably consisted of young families who
have immigrated into that part of the Borough. The larger the number of persons
of the child-bearing period in a district, the greater will be the number of children
born, and the higher will be the birth-rate. As time goes on, these families will reach
a stage beyond the child-bearing age, and the birth-rate will then have a tendency
year by year to decline, and approximate more to the normal rate.