GREAT BRITAIN'S CENSUS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20343, 16 September 1931, Page 3

GREAT BRITAIN'S CENSUS.

FACTS AND FIGURES. PROGRESS OF A CENTURY. flic population of England and Wales —39,947,931 —as revealed by lite recent Census returns, is 2,061,232 wore thftn in 1921, a smaller increase than for any period of ten years since 1861, with the exception of 1911-1921, which included the War yoars. The ratio of increase, 5,52 per cent., is approximately half that of any period since Censustaking started in 1801, again excepting the period 1911-193.1. The following table gives tho progress of over a century:— Year. I'opnlaUoii. 1301 .. .. 8,892,536 • ISi I. .. .. 10,164,256 1821 .. .. 12,000,236 1831 . . .. 13,80(3,797 .1841 .. .. 15,914,148 1851 .. .. 17,927,609 .1861 .. .. 20,066,224 1871 .. .. 22,7.12,260 1881 . . .. 25,974,439 1891 .. .. 29,002,525 1901 .. ' .. 32,527,843 1911 .. .. .'56,070,492 1921 .. .. 37,886,699 ' 1931 .. ... 39,947,931 Other facts revealed by the preliminary figures are: — The population is the highest ever recorded. Deaths have decreased by 10 per cent. Urban population has increased. There is a great southward movement of population. Greater London has a population of 8,802,818~the highest ever - recorded. Areal density is 685 persons per square piile, greater tban that recorded in any Other country, with the possible exception of Belgium, and more than double that of a large majority of other countries. The factors governing the increase are tabulated as follows: — Increase. v Birth;- .. .. 0,930,000 Decreases. .Deaths .. . . 4,692,000 Excess of emigration over immigration (all types) .. .177,000 This gives a net inter-censal increase of 2,061,000. _ The following" table shows the proportion of males and females, together with the totals for 1921: Males, Females. England and Wales .. .19,138,844 20,809,087 Scotland .. 2,325,867 2,016,687 The population of thy 1120 urban areas (including county and municipal boroughs and counting the Administrative County of London as one district) amounted, in all, at the dato of the census to 31,948,166, while tho population of the 63S rural districts amounted to 7,999,765, so that the proportions now living under urban and rural conditions may broadly be regarded as SO and 20 per cent, respectively. Tho percentages in previous years ate shown in the following tables:— Urban. Sural. 1891 .. 72 28 1901 .. ..77 23 . 19H ... " .. 78.1. 21.9 1921 .. .. 79.3 20.7 1931 .. .. 80 20