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6
From Table I. we see that the total population of Hackney
on the night of March 29th, 1896, was 213,044 persons, consisting
of 99,058 males and 113,986 females. Compared with the census
of 1891, it shows a total increase for the five years of 14,438, of
which 7,321 are males and 7,117 females. The annual increment
for the quinquennium amounts to 2,887 persons. This is a
large annual increase; and on comparison with the annual
increase for the preceding decade, it shows a further growth of the
population, the latter increase having been 2,592 persons.
A new feature of the 1896 census is the grouping of the
population into Wards; and as this information is extremely
valuable, I have inserted it in the form of Table II.
I regret I cannot compare the population of the various wards
in 1896 with that at the census of 1891. Such a comparison would
localize very accurately the parts of greatest and least increase of
population during the quinquennium.
Less precisely, this may be done by comparing the populations
of the various sub-districts at the censuses of 1891 and 1896. Such
a comparison shows that the population of Stamford Hill sub-district
increased 15 per cent. during the five years, West Hackney 2 per
cent., Hackney 8 per cent., and South Hackney 6 per cent.
In my Report for the year 1895, I estimated the population of
Hackney to be 215,620 by the Registrar General's method, which
was based on the average annual rate of increase during the preceding
intercensal period. The last census shows that this rate of increase
was not maintained during the last quinquennium—the actual
enumerated population falling more than 2,500 below last year's
estimate. The lesson taught by these figures is, that in order to have
fairly accurate and reliable estimates of population, it is necessary
that at least a quinquennial census should be established. Even
then, the calculations would only approximate to the actual figures,
especially in estimates of population toward the end of the quinquennium.