United Kingdom

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Population of United Kingdom.

So far, this Report has referred exclusively to England and Wales, that is to that portion alone of the kingdom in which the enumeration was carried out under our immediate superintendence. By the courtesy, however, of our colleagues in Scotland and Ireland, and with the assistance of the enumeration books forwarded to us, for compilation, by the respective Governors of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands we are enabled to submit in summary, subject to any future correction of the, as yet unrevised figures, a statement of the population of the whole of the British Isles on the night of the census. In order to make the statement as complete as possible. a provisional return is also added of the soldiers and sailors, both in the Royal Navy and in the Merchant Service, known to have been abroad at the date of the enumeration.

— Area in Acres. Persons. Population on April 4th, 1881.
Males. Females.
United Kingdom 77,828,893 35,246,562 17,253,947 17,992,615
         
England 32,597,398 24,608,391 11,947,726 12,660,665
Wales 4,721,823 1,359,895 677,028 682,867
Scotland 19,496,133 3,734,370 1,797,565 1,936,805
Ireland 20,819,892 5,159,839 2,522,804 2,637,035
Isle of Man 145,325 53,492 25,646 27,846
Channel Islands 48,322 87,731 40,334 47,397
Army, Navy, and Merchant Seamen
abroad		 — 242,844 242,844 —


POPULATION of UNITED KINGDOM at SUCCESIVE CENSUSES.

— 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881
United Kingdom 21,272,187 24,392,485 27,057,923 27,745,949 29,321,288 31,845,379 35,246,562
               
England 11,281,883 13,090,523 15,002,443 16,921,888 18,954,444 21,495,131 24,608,391
Wales 718,353 806,274 911,705 1,005,721 1,111,780 1,217,135 1,359,895
Scotland 2,091,521 2,364,386 2,620,184 2,888,742 3,062,294 3,360,018 3,734,370
Ireland 6,801,827 7,767,401 8,196,597 6,574,278 5,798,967 5,412,377 5,159,839
Isle of Man 40,081 41,000 47,975 52,387 52,469 54,042 53,492
Channel Islands 49,427 62,710 76,065 90,739 90,978 90,596 87,731
Army, Navy, and Merchant Seamen
abroad* 		289,095 260,191 202,954 212,194 250,356 216,080 242,844

* The returns for 1821 and 1831 included the Army, Navy, and merchant seamen at home as well as abroad. The return for 1841 included seamen on board vessels in home ports. The return after that date were limited to men abroad.



INCREASE or DECREASE per Cent. Of the POPULATION in SUCCESIVE DECADES.

— 1821-31. 1831-41. 1841-51. 1851-61. 1861-71. 1871-81. —
United Kingdom 14.7 10.9 2.5 5.7 8.6 10.7 United Kingdom
               
United Kingdom exclusive of Ireland. 14.9 13.5 12.2 11.1 12.4 13.8 United Kingdom exclusive of Ireland.
               
England 16 14.6 12.8 12 13.4 14.5 England
Wales 12.2 13.1 10.3 10.5 9.5 11.7 Wales
Scotland 13 10.8 10.2 6 9.7 11.1 Scotland
Ireland 14.2 5.5 -19.8 -11.8 -6.7 -4.7 Ireland
Isle of Man 2.3 17 9.2 0.2 3 -1 Isle of Man
Channel Islands 26.9 21.3 19.3 0.3 -0.4 -3.2 Channel Islands
Army, Navy, and Merchant Seamen
abroad		 — — — 18 -13.7 12.4 Army, Navy, and Merchant Seamen
abroad

Note.—Where no minus sign is prefixed the figures denote an increase.



PROPORTION per Cent. of the POPULATION residing in DIFFERENT PARTS of the KINGDOM.

— 1821. 1831. 1841. 1851. 1861. 1871. 1881. —
England 53 53.6 55.4 61 64.6 67.5 69.8 England
Wales 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.6 3.8 3.8 3.8 Wales
Scotland 9.8 9.7 9.7 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.6 Scotland
Ireland 32 31.8 30.2 23.7 19.8 19.8 14.6 Ireland
Isle of Man 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Isle of Man
Channel Islands 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 Channel Islands
Army, Navy, and Merchant Seamen abroad* 1.4 1.1 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.7 Army, Navy, and Merchant Seamen abroad.

* See note appended to last table but one.

The total population of the United Kingdom, as shown in the above tables, consisted on April 4th last, of 35,246,562 persons. This was an increase of 3,401,183 upon the enumeration of 1871, and was equivalent to an average daily addition of 931 persons to the community throughout the decade, the daily increase in the preceding decade having been 705.

Rate of increase in the decade.

The decennial rate of increase was no less than 10.7 per cent., which was considerably higher than the rate in any of the three preceding decades, in which it had been successively 2.5, 5.7, and 8.6. This gradual rise in the rate of increase in each successive decade since 1841-51 was due in the main, though not entirely, to the fact that the decrease of the population of Ireland, which in 1841-51 was at the rate of 19.8 per cent., has become less and less in each succeeding decennium. If Ireland be excluded from the calculation, it will be found that the rate of increase for the remainder of the United Kingdom has been, comparatively speaking, uniform.

Such, Sir, are the results of the recent enumeration, so far as they have as yet been ascertained. Doubtless the careful revision to which the documents will now be subjected will necessitate some slight alterations hereafter in the figures, these alterations, however, it may be confidently predicted, will not be such as to affect the general results in any serious degree.

We have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants,

 
BRYDGES P. HENNIKER, Registrar General.
    WILLIAM CLODE
    WILLIAM OGLE.

F. J. WILLIAMS, Secretary.

1881 Census of England and Wales, Preliminary Report and tables of population and houses for England and Wales, and in Islands in British Seas, on 4th April 1881 (1881 xcvi (C.2995) 1),

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