In the City of London and six of the central metropolitan boroughs the enumerated population showed an actual decline of over 67,000 in the ten years, notwithstanding that the recorded excess of births over deaths in that period amounted approximately to 70,000.
In all the other boroughs there had been increases. In the Eastern group the increases had been very small, with the exception of Stepney, where, owing to the immigration of aliens, the population had increased 13,484. In the Northern group the greatest increase had been in Hackney (19,666). In the Western group Fulham showed the highest increase, namely, 45,500; whilst on the south side of the river, Wandsworth had increased 76,500, and several others showed large increases.
Outside the boundaries of the county the “outer ring” had attained to a population of 2,044,553 persons—an increase of 639,000.
If the metropolis and this “outer ring” were regarded as one city—and in many matters it is hard to consider them apart—the total population in 1901 was 6,581,372.
The information as to the birthplaces of the people showed that of the 4,536,541 persons, 3,016,580 were natives of London. The proportion of natives of London had increased; the proportion from the rest of the United Kingdom had decreased; whilst there had been an increase of 40,000 foreigners, the number having considerably more than doubled since 1881. Of every 1,000 inhabitants, 668 were born in London, and 332 elsewhere, as against 653 and 347 respectively in 1891.
Once again the arrivals and departures by the gates of life and death were recorded. In the ten years from the 1st of April, 1891, to the 31st of March, 1901, 1,329,428 births had been registered, and 838,454 deaths. The excess of births over deaths, therefore, was 490,974; and as the increase of population was 309,228, it followed that 181,746 persons had migrated. As the migration had only been 114,000 in 1891, it was manifest that migration to outside the County of London was increasing.
The total number of inhabited houses was 571,768, as against 547,146 in 1891; but owing to a variation in the manner of collecting the information, the figures have little value for comparative purposes.
The accurate figures given of the population of London enabled the death-rate to be calculated on facts instead of upon estimates.
The death-rate was 17·1 per 1,000 living in 1901, a decrease from 18·6 in the previous year, and from 21·0 in 1891.
But to be set against this was the portentous fact that the birth-rate had declined from 31·8 per 1,000 in 1891 to 29·0 per 1,000 persons living in 1901, the lowest recorded in London since civil registration began.