Births in
Scotland
Last updated: March 2010
Please note that all figures for 2009 are provisional, and may be revised slightly. Final figures for 2009 will be published in August 2010.
The number of births registered in Scotland in 2009 was 59,046: 995 (1.7%) fewer than in the previous year. This was the first time in seven years that the number of births had fallen (there had previously been increases in each year since 2002, and the total for 2008 was the highest since 1995). The total for 2009 was the second highest since 1997 (the figure for 2008 being the highest). However, it was well below the most recent peak of over 100,000 per year in the early 1960s, and the level of around 65-70,000 per year between the mid-1970s and the early 1990s.
The proportion of births to unmarried parents (including births registered solely in the mother's name) has continued to rise, reaching 50.3% in 2009 compared with 41% ten years earlier and 26% in 1989.
Statistics about babies' mothers are published each summer in the Vital Events Reference Tables. These are not produced until the data for the year have been finalised, so the latest figures that are available at present are for 2008.
Since the mid-1970s, there has been a trend towards having children at older ages. The percentage of births to mothers aged under 20 fell from about 11% (on average) between 1976 and 1980, and around 8% in 1991-95, to 7% in 2008. Mothers aged 20-24 accounted for roughly a third of all births in 1976-1980, about 22% in 1991-95, and 19% in 2008. The percentage of births to mothers aged 25-29 has also fallen: from around 35% in 1976-1980, and about 36% in 1991-95, to 27% in 2008. As a result, women aged over 30 accounted for almost half of all births in 2008: 27% were to mothers aged 30-34, 17% were to 35-39 year olds and 4% were to women aged 40 and over - figures which are all above the levels of 15 and 30 years earlier.
87% of births in 2008 were to mothers who had been born in the UK, including 77% to women who were born in Scotland. A further 5% of mothers had been born in other European Union countries, including 3% from the countries which joined the EU in 2004 (like Poland). Commonwealth countries were the birthplace of 4% of mothers, including 2% from the Indian sub-continent.
Live births in Scotland 1855 - 2009
Source: GROS Registration Data