Increase in Births

22 December 2005

Births so far this year have been at the highest level since 1999, it was announced today.

The Quarterly Return, 3rd Quarter 2005, which shows provisional figures for births, deaths and marriages registered during the period 1 July to 30 September 2005, has been published.

There were 14,216 births, 2.8% more than in the same quarter last year. Moreover, taking the first three quarters of the year together, births in Scotland were at the highest level since 1999.

Registrar General for Scotland Duncan Macniven said:

“Though we should not make too much of quarterly figures like these, it is encouraging that there were almost 400 more births in the third quarter of this year than a year ago. Moreover, taking the first three quarters together, births have been at a higher level than we have seen for 6 years.”

Deaths showed the usual seasonal decline and at 12,805 they were 266 (2.0%) below the level one year earlier. Deaths for the first three quarters of the year combined remain around the same level as 2004.

There were over 1400 (11%) more births than deaths. Births outnumbered deaths in 10 out of 15 NHS Board areas. But, over the first three quarters of the year, there were almost 1000 more deaths than births.

Marriages in the third quarter of 2005 (12,330) were slightly down on the third quarter of 2004 (12,715).

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