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To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
London Borough of Merton.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the Annual Report on the Health
of Merton, for the year 1967. Examination of the vital statistics shows
that the health of the residents has been good during the year.
As in previous years, although there was an excess of live births
over deaths, the Registrar-General's mid-year estimate of population
showed a fall of 1,140 from 184,190 for 1966 to 183,050 for 1967.
This decrease in population was accentuated by a fall in the live birth
rate accompanied by a rise in the death rate. The trend of a falling
population to which I have drawn attention in my previous Reports
is at an average rate of 1,000 per year, and has persisted since 1950
when the area reached its highest population. In each year since 1950
there has been a fall of population although there has also been a
yearly excess of live births over deaths. It is obvious, therefore, that
the falling population is due principally to constant migration of
population out of the Borough.
There were 2,747 live births in 1967 compared with 2,865 in
1966, a fall of 118, and the birth rate consequently showed a fall
from 15.55 per thousand of the population to 15.01. The live birth
rate for England and Wales for 1967 was 17.2 compared with 17.7 for
1966. The number of illegitimate live births rose from 218 to 231, and
their percentage of live births rose from 7.61 to 8.40, but this is still
lower than the percentage for 1965 of 8.55-
The number of infant deaths remained steady at 45, but the
reduced number of live births resulted in an increased infant mortality
rate of 16.38 per thousand live births compared with 15.53 for 1966.
Merton's infant mortality rate of 16.38 still compares favourably with
the national rate of 18.3.
The number of still births for 1967 was 36, giving a rate per
thousand live and still births of 12.93 compared with 11.81 for 1966.
The stillbirth rate for England and Wales was 14.8. The increased
stillbirth rate was accompanied bya fall in the early neo-natal mortality
rate from 11.52 in 1966 to 11.28 for 1967.
Although there was one less neo-natal death, 36 compared with
37 in 1966, the rate per thousand live births rose from 12.91 in 1966
to 13.10 in 1967—a direct result of the fall in the number of live
births during the year.
The peri-natal mortality rate rose from 22.44 in 1966 to 24.07 in
1967 although this increased rate compared favourably with the rate
for England and Wales of 25.4.
Deaths during the year showed an increase of 46 from 1,995 in
1966 to 2,041 in 1967 and the death rate consequently increased
from 10.83 in 1966 to 11.15 in 1967. The death rate for England
and Wales for 1967 was 11.2 per thousand of the population.
There were no serious outbreaks of infectious disease during the
year, apart from the usual high incidence of measles which occurs
every two years and consequently there were 1,777 cases notified.
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