Continued Increase in Scottish Births

11 December 2008

The number of births registered in Scotland during the third quarter of 2008 was 4.0 per cent higher than during the same period of 2007.

Registrar General for Scotland Duncan Macniven said:

“More than 15,500 births were registered in July, August and September, continuing the increase in the birth rate over the past few years. Though we should not make too much of a single quarter, there were around 600 more births in the third quarter of this year than in 2007 resulting in the highest number registered in the third quarter for 13 years. Taking the first three quarters together, there were around 2,100 more births than in the same period of 2007.

“The third quarter of 2008 saw fewer marriages and civil partnerships than the previous year and the death rate was unchanged.”

The Registrar General was speaking as he published provisional figures for births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships registered during the third quarter of 2008.

Other comparisons with the third quarter of 2007 showed that:

marriages were down by 718 from 12,610 to 11,892.
195 civil partnerships (83 male and 112 female) were registered in the quarter, 50 fewer than the 245 partnerships registered in the third quarter of 2007.
There were 12,625 deaths, 11 more than in the same period of 2007. Deaths from cancer and coronary heart disease fell by 1.2 per cent and 8.6 per cent respectively. Deaths from stroke rose by 5.5 per cent.

The full report "Births, Marriages and Deaths - Third Quarter 2008" is available on this website.