Lewisham: The Youngening

Farnsworth: At this rate, we'll keep getting younger until we suffer a fate worse than death: pre-life! Then death.
- Futurama

Another London map from Savills. This one, courtesy of The FT, shows that the capital's Great Inversion has caused the average age of Lewisham residents to fall significantly over the last 30 years.

As the rest of the UK gets older and fatter, immigration (from other countries and other parts of Britain) and higher birth rates keep London young and sexy. The average age in the inner London boroughs has fallen faster than in the outer suburbs and Lewisham's mean average age fell by 2-4 years between 1981 and 2011. The mean average age of a Lewisham resident is now 32-34, compared with a national median average of around 40.

A younger population means growing demand for things like education, vocational training, maternity services and night-life and declining demand for things like care services, so this change has profound implications for Lewisham Council's long-term priorities.