Numbers of Paupers Relieved 1840-1939
The table below shows the numbers of indoor and outdoor paupers relieved in England and Wales between 1840 and 1939. Please read the important notes at the end of the page.
| Year | Indoor Paupers (1000s) | Rate per 1000 of population | Outdoor Paupers (1000s) | Rate per 1000 of population | Total (1000s) | Total Rate per 1000 of population |
| 1840 | 169 | 11.0 | 1,030 | 66.0 | 1,200 | 77.0 |
| 1841 | 192 | 12.0 | 1,107 | 70.0 | 1,299 | 82.0 |
| 1842 | 223 | 14.0 | 1,205 | 75.0 | 1,427 | 89.0 |
| 1843 | 239 | 15.0 | 1,301 | 80.0 | 1,539 | 95.0 |
| 1844 | 231 | 14.0 | 1,247 | 76.0 | 1,478 | 90.0 |
| 1845 | 215 | 13.0 | 1,256 | 76.0 | 1,471 | 88.0 |
| 1846 | 200 | 12.0 | 1,132 | 67.0 | 1,332 | 79.0 |
| 1847 | 265 | 16.0 | 1,456 | 85.0 | 1,721 | 101.0 |
| 1848 | 306 | 18.0 | 1,571 | 90.0 | 1,877 | 108.0 |
| 1849 | 134 | 7.7 | 955 | 55.0 | 1,089 | 62.7 |
| 1850 | 123 | 7.0 | 886 | 50.4 | 1,009 | 57.4 |
| 1851 | 114 | 6.5 | 827 | 46.5 | 941 | 53.6 |
| 1852 | 111 | 6.2 | 804 | 44.7 | 916 | 50.9 |
| 1853 | 110 | 6.0 | 776 | 42.7 | 886 | 48.7 |
| 1854 | 112 | 6.1 | 753 | 40.9 | 865 | 47.0 |
| 1855 | 121 | 6.5 | 776 | 41.7 | 898 | 48.2 |
| 1856 | 125 | 6.6 | 792 | 42.1 | 917 | 48.7 |
| 1857 | 123 | 6.5 | 762 | 40.0 | 885 | 46.5 |
| 1858 | 123 | 6.4 | 786 | 40.8 | 908 | 47.2 |
| 1859 | 108 | 5.5 | 706 | 36.3 | 814 | 41.8 |
| 1860 | 101 | 5.1 | 695 | 35.3 | 796 | 40.4 |
| 1861 | 108 | 5.4 | 709 | 35.6 | 816 | 41.0 |
| 1862 | 119 | 5.9 | 743 | 36.9 | 862 | 42.8 |
| 1863 | 123 | 6.0 | 872 | 42.8 | 994 | 48.8 |
| 1864 | 120 | 5.9 | 844 | 40.9 | 965 | 46.8 |
| 1865 | 118 | 5.7 | 783 | 37.5 | 901 | 43.2 |
| 1866 | 118 | 5.6 | 746 | 35.3 | 864 | 40.9 |
| 1867 | 122 | 5.7 | 755 | 35.3 | 877 | 41.0 |
| 1868 | 134 | 6.2 | 801 | 36.9 | 934 | 43.1 |
| 1869 | 140 | 6.4 | 817 | 37.2 | 956 | 43.6 |
| 1870 | 141 | 6.4 | 838 | 37.7 | 979 | 44.1 |
| 1871 | 140 | 6.2 | 843 | 37.5 | 984 | 43.7 |
| 1872 | 133 | 5.8 | 791 | 34.7 | 924 | 40.5 |
| 1873 | 128 | 5.5 | 702 | 30.4 | 830 | 35.9 |
| 1874 | 127 | 5.4 | 646 | 27.6 | 773 | 33.0 |
| 1875 | 129 | 5.5 | 616 | 25.9 | 745 | 31.4 |
| 1876 | 125 | 5.2 | 567 | 23.6 | 692 | 28.8 |
| 1877 | 130 | 5.4 | 530 | 21.7 | 660 | 27.1 |
| 1878 | 139 | 5.6 | 527 | 21.4 | 667 | 27.0 |
| 1879 | 147 | 5.9 | 555 | 22.1 | 702 | 28.0 |
| 1880 | 159 | 6.3 | 582 | 22.9 | 741 | 29.2 |
| 1881 | 161 | 6.3 | 561 | 21.8 | 722 | 28.1 |
| 1882 | 161 | 6.2 | 557 | 21.4 | 718 | 27.6 |
| 1883 | 162 | 6.1 | 551 | 20.9 | 712 | 27.0 |
| 1884 | 160 | 6.0 | 534 | 20.1 | 694 | 26.1 |
| 1885 | 162 | 6.0 | 533 | 19.8 | 695 | 25.8 |
| 1886 | 164 | 6.1 | 542 | 19.9 | 707 | 26.0 |
| 1887 | 167 | 6.0 | 555 | 20.2 | 722 | 26.2 |
| 1888 | 170 | 6.1 | 554 | 19.9 | 724 | 26.0 |
| 1889 | 168 | 6.0 | 548 | 19.5 | 716 | 25.5 |
| 1890 | 166 | 5.8 | 530 | 18.7 | 696 | 24.5 |
| 1891 | 163 | 5.7 | 515 | 17.9 | 678 | 23.6 |
| 1892 | 163 | 5.6 | 499 | 17.2 | 662 | 22.3 |
| 1893 | 169 | 5.7 | 505 | 17.2 | 675 | 22.9 |
| 1894 | 180 | 6.1 | 519 | 17.4 | 699 | 23.5 |
| 1895 | 184 | 6.1 | 523 | 17.4 | 706 | 23.5 |
| 1896 | 187 | 6.1 | 535 | 17.6 | 721 | 23.7 |
| 1897 | 186 | 6.0 | 530 | 17.1 | 716 | 23.3 |
| 1898 | 188 | 6.0 | 525 | 16.8 | 713 | 22.9 |
| 1899 | 190 | 6.1 | 538 | 17.1 | 728 | 23.2 |
| 1900 | 188 | 5.9 | 500 | 15.7 | 689 | 21.6 |
| 1901 | 204 | 6.3 | 494 | 15.3 | 698 | 21.6 |
| 1902 | 213 | 6.5 | 502 | 15.4 | 715 | 21.9 |
| 1903 | 221 | 6.7 | 511 | 15.5 | 732 | 22.2 |
| 1904 | 229 | 6.9 | 516 | 15.5 | 745 | 22.4 |
| 1905 | 240 | 7.1 | 547 | 16.3 | 787 | 23.4 |
| 1906 | 248 | 7.3 | 550 | 16.2 | 798 | 23.5 |
| 1907 | 251 | 7.3 | 542 | 15.8 | 793 | 23.1 |
| 1908 | 256 | 7.4 | 540 | 15.6 | 796 | 23.0 |
| 1909 | 267 | 7.6 | 551 | 15.7 | 818 | 23.3 |
| 1910 | 275 | 7.8 | 540 | 15.2 | 815 | 23.0 |
| 1911 | 275 | 7.7 | 508 | 14.2 | 783 | 21.9 |
| 1912 | 267 | 7.4 | 408 | 11.3 | 676 | 18.7 |
| 1913 | 265 | 7.3 | 412 | 11.3 | 677 | 18.6 |
| 1914 | 255 | 7.0 | 387 | 10.6 | 642 | 17.6 |
| 1915 | 253 | 6.8 | 392 | 10.6 | 644 | 17.4 |
| 1916 | 226 | 6.1 | 365 | 9.8 | 591 | 15.9 |
| 1917 | 213 | 5.7 | 328 | 8.7 | 541 | 14.4 |
| 1918 | 199 | 5.3 | 302 | 8.0 | 502 | 13.3 |
| 1919 | 184 | 4.9 | 285 | 7.6 | 469 | 12.5 |
| 1920 | 181 | 4.8 | 298 | 7.9 | 479 | 12.7 |
| 1921 | 193 | 5.2 | 347 | 9.2 | 540 | 14.3 |
| 1922 | 209 | 5.5 | 1,147 | 30.3 | 1,356 | 35.8 |
| 1923 | 214 | 5.6 | 1,398 | 36.6 | 1,612 | 42.2 |
| 1924 | 215 | 5.6 | 1,062 | 27.7 | 1,277 | 33.3 |
| 1925 | 213 | 5.5 | 915 | 23.6 | 1,128 | 29.1 |
| 1926 | 217 | 5.6 | 1,011 | 26.0 | 1,227 | 31.6 |
| 1927 | 221 | 5.7 | 1,735 | 44.4 | 1,956 | 50.1 |
| 1928 | 221 | 5.6 | 997 | 25.4 | 1,218 | 31.0 |
| 1929 | 221 | 5.6 | 891 | 22.6 | 1,113 | 28.2 |
| 1930 | 217 | 5.5 | 850 | 21.4 | 1,067 | 26.9 |
| 1931 | 209 | 5.2 | 762 | 19.1 | 971 | 24.3 |
| 1932 | 196 | 4.9 | 859 | 21.5 | 1,055 | 26.4 |
| 1933 | 191 | 4.8 | 1,087 | 27.0 | 1,278 | 31.8 |
| 1934 | 184 | 4.5 | 1,154 | 28.6 | 1,338 | 33.1 |
| 1935 | 178 | 4.4 | 1,223 | 30.3 | 1,401 | 34.7 |
| 1936 | 170 | 4.2 | 1,170 | 29.0 | 1,340 | 33.2 |
| 1937 | 161 | 4.0 | 1,105 | 27.2 | 1,266 | 31.2 |
| 1938 | 153 | 3.8 | 912 | 22.3 | 1,065 | 26.0 |
| 1939 | 149 | 3.6 | 928 | 22.6 | 1,077 | 26.3 |
The rate-per-1000-of-population figures are plotted in th chart below.
Numbers relieved 1840-1939.
© Peter Higginbotham.
Notes:
- Prior to 1849, totals are counts of individuals relieved in first three months of each year, possibly with some applicants being counted more than once. From 1849, the figure is the average of the total individuals being relieved on January 1st and July 1st in a particular year. The change in calculation method resulted in a substantial drop in the numbers.
- Prior to 1859, the totals included casual paupers and the insane. From 1859, these two classes were counted separately and are not included in the above figures.
- Figures are based on official annual reports of Poor Law Commisioners (1840-48), Poor Law Board (1848-70), Local Government Board (1871-1919), and Minsitry of Health (1920-39).
- Rounding effects mean that "Total" figures sometimes appear to differ slightly from simple agdition of given "Indoor" and "Outdoor" figures.
For US readers 
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