Title Graphic

Part II. Period of the Anglo-French Alliance

STATISTICAL SUMMARY

In this book, the 1939-45 war has been divided into four chronological periods, each of which is treated in a separate part. The first three of these parts will be prefaced by a short statistical summary designed to focus the salient economic trends of the period and to show them in relation to the past and future periods of the war.1 The past and future dates chosen for comparison vary according to the individual table; for example, for manpower 1943 has been chosen as the peak year for mobilisation, but in most other tables the forward comparison is with 1944 as the last complete year of the war.

The periods of this book have been fixed by strategic events and do not therefore coincide with the normal measuring periods of economic statistics; the nine-months period of the Anglo-French Alliance is a particularly awkward fragment. Nor are the measuring periods of all the statistics identical. The national income figures, for example, relate to calendar years; but the main manpower figures come from the 'July count' of insurance cards. The statistical summaries, therefore, inevitably run across the strategic boundaries.

1. NATIONAL FINANCE

(a) National Income and Expenditure


£ million
Percentages

1938
1939
1940
1944
1938
1939
1940
1944
1. National income
4,707
5,075
6,066
8,310
100
100
100
100
2. National cost of consumers' goods and services
3,713
3,791
3,931
4,452
79
75
65
54
3. Government current expenditure:








 i. War
327
763
2,600
4,481
7
15
43
54
ii. Other
440
480
484
536
9
9
8
6
4. Net capital formation at home
297
291
-145
500
6
6
-3
-6
5. Net lending abroad
-70
-250
-804
-659
-1
-5
-13
-8
6. Net national expenditure at factor cost
4,707
5,075
6,066
8,310
100
100
100
100
Figures for national income and expenditure are net in that they exclude sums allowed for depreciation and maintenance and are at factor cost in that they include subsidies but exclude indirect taxes.
Source: Cmd. 7371 and Central Statistical Office

--75--


(b) Personal  Expenditure on Consumer's Goods and Services
at 1938 Prices





£ million

1938
1939
1940
1944
1. Food
1,287
1,307
1,138
1,120
2. Alcoholic beverages
285
296
276
274
3. Tobacco
177
182
178
205
4. Rent, rates and water charges
491
504
508
503
5. Fuel and light
197
199
202
193
6. Household goods
288
274
216
100
7. Clothing
446
444
372
275
8. Books, newspapers and magazines
64
63
59
73
9. Private motoring
127
113
38
8
10. Travel
163
155
132
188
11. Communication services
29
29
27
42
12. Entertainments
64
67
53
90
13. Other services
483
471
438
343
14. Other goods
177
177
162
113
15. Income in kind of the Armed Forces
17
28
67
152
16. Total of above items
4,295
4,303
3,866
3,679
17. Adjustment 2 -7
5
17
27
18. Total
4,288
4,308
3,883
3,706
Source: Cmd. 7371 and Central Statistical Office

(c) Average Weekly Government War Expenditure
Exchequer Issues for Defence and Vote of Credit Expenditure



£ million
1939
September
19,600

October
20,700

November
31,700

December
29,600



1940
January
33,200

February
33,600

March
40,900

April
33,100

May
33,500

June
51,800




December
70,600



1941
June
68,800

December
87,800



1944
June
90,300

December
91,100
Source: Central Statistical Office

(d) Disposal of Personal Income





Percentages

1938
1939
1940
1941
Consumers' expenditure at market value
88
86
80
69
Direct tax payments
9
9
10
16
Savings and additions to tax reserves
3
5
10
15
Personal outlay
100
100
100
100
Source: Cmd. 7371 and Central Statistical Office

--76--


(e) Prices and Wages



Weekly wage rates: estimated increase in all industries.3 Sept 1, 1939=100
Average weekly earnings in certain industries4 % of Oct. 1938
Cost of living Sept. 1, 1939=100
Price index of total consumers' expenditure 1938=100
Import prices Aug. 1939=100
Export prices Aug. 1939=100
Wholesale prices Aug. 1939=100
1939
Sept.
100

100
Year 1939=102


108

Dec.
102-013

112
129
104
125
1940
March
107

115
Year 1940=120
143
114
131

June
109-110
130
117
148
121
137

Sept.
114

121
151
128
144

Dec.
115

126
153
132
151
1944
Dec.
145-146
176
130
Year 1944=150
See Note 5
See Note 5
170
Source: Central Statistical Office

2. MANPOWER

(a) Total Population of Great Britain




Thousands

1939
1940
1944
TOTAL
46,466
46,889
47,627
0-13
9,231
9,187
9,239
M. 14-64
31,293
32,281
32,386
F. 14-59
M. 65 and over
5,312
5,421
6,002
F. 60 and over
MALES
22,332
22,632
22,975
0-13
4,672
4,656
4,698
14-64
15,887
16,168
16,261
65 and over
1,773
1,808
2,016
FEMALES
24,134
24,257
24,652
0-13
4,559
4,531
4,541
14-59
16,036
16,113
16,125
60 and over
3,539
3,613
3,986
NOTE:
(1) The figures have been given for Great Britain only, to correspond as closely as possible with the tables given elsewhere showing the distribution of manpower by industry. It should be noted however that in the manpower tables the figures for the Armed Forces include an unknown number of recruits from outside Great Britain (mainly from Northern Ireland and Eire) who are not included in the total population figures above.

(2) The figures for 1939 exclude men serving overseas in the Armed Forces and Merchant Navy (estimated at between 200,000 and 250,000). From 1940 onwards all members of the Armed Forces and Merchant Navy are included, whether at home or overseas. Prisoners of war in enemy hands are included in 1944, but are mainly excluded from earlier figures.
Source: Central Statistical Office

--77--


(b) Distribution of Labour Force of Working Age in
Great Britain




Thousands

June 1939
June 1940
June 1943
Working Population:



Total
19,570 20,676
22,286
Men
14,656 15,104
15,302
Women
5,094 5,572
7,254
Armed Forces:



Total
480 2,273
4,762
Men
480 2,218
4,300
Women
55
462
Civil Defence, N.F.S. and Police:



Total
80 3454
323
Men
80 292
253
Women
53
70
Group I Industries:



Total
3,106 3,559
5,233
Men
2,600 2,885
3,305
Women
506 674
1,928
Group II Industries:



Total
4,683 4,618
5,027
Men
4,096 3,902
3,686
Women
587 716
1,341
Group III Industries:



Total
13,131
9,236
6,861
Men
6,387
5,373
3,430
Women
3,744
3,863
3,431
Registered Insured Unemployed:



Total
1,270
645
60
Men
1,013
434
44
Women
257
211
16
Ex-Service men and women not yet in employment:



Total


20
Men


13
Women


7

NOTE:
(1) The figures include men aged 14-64 and women aged 14-59, excluding those in private domestic service. Part-time women workers are included, two being counted as one unit. The figures refer to Great Britain only except for the Armed Forces, which include an unknown number of volunteers from Northern Ireland, Eire, etc.

(2) Group I covers metal manufacture, engineering, motors, aircraft and other vehicles, shipbuilding and ship-repairing, metal goods manufacture, chemicals, explosives, oils etc.

Group II covers agriculture, mining, national and local government services, gas, water and electricity supply, transport and shipping.

Group III covers food, drink and tobacco, textiles ,clothing and other manufactures, building and civil engineering, distribution trades, commerce, banking and other services.
Source: Ministry of Labour and National Service and Central Statistical Office

--78--


3. SUPPLIES FROM ABROAD

(a) United Kingdom External Disinvestment

(as far as recorded: probably an underestimate)




£ Million

Sept.–Dec. 1939
1940
Total Sept. 1939 to June 1945
Realisation of external capital assets6,7
58
164
1,118
Increase in external liabilities
80
179
2,879
Decrease or increase7 (-) in gold and U.S. dollar reserves7, 8
57
474
152
Unallocated
17
-6
49
TOTAL
212
811
4,198

NOTE:
The figures given in the above table are those given in Cmd. 6707 and are the only ones at present available. The totals given in Cmd. 7099 for the years 1940-1945 are however slightly smaller so that the figures in the table will need slight adjustments throughout.

(b) Exports of Produce and Manufacture of the United Kingdom



Value as recorded £ million
Index of volume 1935=100


Including Munitions
Excluding Munitions
Including Munitions
Excluding Munitions
1938
Quarterly average 117.7

98

1939
4th Quarter 102.8

82

1940
1st Quarter
119.9

89


2nd Quarter
129.8

91


3rd Quarter
93.9

63


4th Quarter
67.6

44

1944
Quarterly average
82.1
66.6
38
31

NOTE:
(1) The figures up to 1942 do not exclude munitions. In 1940, however, it is reasonable to assume that exports of munitions were very small while in 1944 they were large.

(2) The index of volume is calculated on quantities revalued at 1935 prices and expressed as a percentage of the quarterly average in 1935.
Source: Board of Trade

--79--


(c) Shipping Gains and Losses

Gains and Losses of British Flag Tonnage 1,600 g.t. and over

(Gross tonnage figures in thousands)



Gains
Losses
Net Gain + or Loss -


Non-Tankers
Tankers
Non-Tankers
Tankers
Non-Tankers
Tankers
1939
Sept.
37
13
106
43
-69
-30

Oct.-Dec.
243
104
274
38
-31
+66
1940
Jan.-March
277
18
262
73
+15
-55

April, May
292
7
149
20
+143
-13
Annual rate for first 9 months of war

1,132
189
1,055
232
+77
-43
Year
1941
1,694
402
2,591
488
-897
-86
Year
1942
1,834
277
3,341
693
-1,507
-416
Year
1943
2,784
273
1,609
217
+1,175
+56

NOTE:
(1) It is important to realise that:
  1. Figures of gains are no guide to the post-war shipping position since they include ships due to be returned after the war.
  2. Figures of gains and losses give only the very crudest guide to the shipping position. Carrying capacity per million tons of shipping is equally important but this must necessarily be discussed in the text.

(2) Shipping figures are sometimes in gross tons and sometimes in deadweight tons according to the point under discussion.

Gross tonnage is the sum of the spaces (in cubic feet) of all the various enclosed space of a vessel divided by 100. Deadweight tonnage is the number of tons (of 2,240 lb.) of cargo, stores, bunkers (and where necessary passengers) required to bring a ship down from her light line to her load-water-line.
Source: Ministry of Transport

(d) Imports

Imports under Departmental Programmes

(excluding imports from Eire)







Million tons


Non-tanker imports






Total
Ministry of Food
Ministry of Supply
Munitions and Miscellaneous
Tanker Imports9
1934-38 Quarterly average
13.75
5.5
6.5
1.75
4.1
1939
4th Quarter
10.3
4.810
5.3
0.3
2.5
1940
1st Quarter
11.3
5.7
5.2
0.3
3.3

2nd Quarter
12.4
6.0
6.1
0.3
3.9
Annual rate of import:





Oct. 1939-June 1940
45.4
22.0
22.6
1.2
12.9
Imports during year 1941
30.5
14.7
15.0
0.8
13.6
Imports during year 1942
22.9
10.6
11.5
0.8
10.7
Imports during year 1943
26.4
11.5
12.8
2.0
15.1
Source: Central Statistical Office

--80--


(e) Stocks of Foodstuffs and Raw Materials in the United Kingdom














Million tons


Food and animal feeding stuffs
Raw materials

Principal commodities
End of month
Total Stocks other than farms Stocks on farms Total11 Covered by import programme Petroleum Products Iron Ore12 Steel13 Timber14 Non-ferrous metals15 Wheat Flour
Beginning of war
10.53
3.74
6.79
13.1 11.8
6.73
2.4
1.0
3.90
0.7
1.03
0.27
1939
December 7.49
3.81
3.68
12.18
10.68
5.78
1.87
0.79
3.44
0.72
0.83
0.31
1940
March
5.52
4.07
1.46
11.03
9.65
5.77
1.76
0.79
2.90
0.67
1.11
0.50

June
5.10
4.92
0.18
11.47
10.05
6.33
2.26
0.78
2.76
0.67
1.40
0.67
1940
December
10.63
5.14
5.49
14.45
12.54
5.36
2.03
1.71
4.11
0.81
1.30
0.70
1941
December
13.39
6.38
7.01
14.67
12.89
7.04
2.12
2.65
2.95
0.88
1.37
0.86
Source: Central Statistical Office

--81--


Contents  *  Previous Chapter (II)  *  Next Chapter (III)


Footnotes

1 Munitions figures are excluded; they have been left to the companion volume on war production by Professor M. M. Postan.

2 The adjustment is to convert the total in line 16 to a total of purchases out of British income.

3 Some small industries are omitted. Figures for wage rates relate to the end of the previous month in order to make them comparable with the cost of living index, which relates to the beginning of the month mentioned.

4 The figures represent the average earning, including bonus, overtime, etc. and before deduction of income tax or insurance, in one week, in January and July of each year. Administrative and clerical workers and other salaried persons are excluded.

5 There are no comparable figures in this series after 1941.

6 Comprising banking liabilities less assets, and funds held in the United Kingdom as cover for overseas currencies.

7 After deduction of outstanding liabilities to provide gold against sterling liabilities and of liabilities to convert U.S.A. holdings of sterling into dollars on demand.

8 Gold valued at 172s. 3d. per ounce fine and dollars at £1=$4.03.

9 Petroleum products, molasses, unrefined whale oil, industrial alcohol, and, from January 1943, acetone.

10 Estimated.

11 Excluding consumers' stocks of steel.

12 Including home produced iron-ore at the imported equivalent.

13 At producers' works and in British Iron and Steel Corporation stockyards, including material in transit. Consumers' stocks are excluded.

14 Softwoods, hardwoods, pitwood and constructional plywood.

15 Copper, zinc, zinc concentrates, lead, tin, nickel, bauxite.


Transcribed and formatted for HTML by David Newton, HyperWar Foundation