The Registrar-General's report for the past December quarter shows that the births of 1,047,859 children were registered in the United Kingdom in the course of last year. The deaths which were recorded in the same period were 636,881, so that the births in the land show an excess of 410,978 over the deaths. The latter total represents the natural increase in the population of the kingdom, in the absence of all disturbing influences. Emigration, however, has been steadily going on, for it is on record that at least 142,731 persons of home origin left our shores in the past year to seek their fortunes in foreign lands. Probably the number of emigrants was greatly in excess of the total just given, but even this reduces the natural increase in the inhabitants from 410,978 to 268,247.
The report also shows that the births of 786,156 children were registered in England and Wales in 1868—viz., 198,594 in the first quarter, 202,892 in the second, 192,467 in the third, and 192,203 in the fourth quarter of the year.
The deaths in England and Wales in the same months reached 480,677, so that here there is an excess of 305,479 births over deaths. The births in England occurred at the rate of 2147 for every day in the past year; and as it is estimated that the population of England and Wales was 21,649,377 in the middle of the past year, it follows that the birth-rate for the year is 36.3 every thousand inhabitants.
In 1867 the births reached 767,897, so that the number for 1868 gives an increase of 18,259 in one year. On going back to the year 1858, and comparing the births in that year with those that occurred ten years later, the increase is seen to be very great. In 1858 the births were 655,481, a total which falls short of that for the past year by 130,675.
Source: The Illustrated London News, Vol. LIV, Feb. 20, 1869, p.195
London 1881: Population
England: 19c. Population
National Archives: Births, marriages and deaths