Births, Marriages And Deaths – Second Quarter 2009

10 September 2009

12,770 deaths were registered in Scotland in the second quarter of 2009 - 723 (5.4 per cent) fewer than the same period in 2008. This is the lowest total between April and June for at least thirty years.

14,866 births were registered in the second quarter of the year – just 9 fewer than in the second quarter of 2008, and almost 600 more than in the same period in 2007.

Registrar General for Scotland Duncan Macniven, speaking as he published provisional figures for births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships registered during the second quarter of 2009, said:

“The memorable part of today’s figures is the low number of deaths. Death rates fluctuate and we shouldn’t make too much of a single quarter. But we’ve seen a reduction in the last two quarters, giving the lowest number of deaths and lowest death rate in the first half of a year for at least three decades.”

Other comparisons with the second quarter of 2008 showed that:

marriages were down by 32 from 7,904 to 7,872.
145 civil partnerships (62 male and 83 female) were registered in the quarter, 31 more than the 114 partnerships registered in the second quarter of 2008.
Deaths from stroke and coronary heart disease fell by 6.5 per cent and 10.7 per cent respectively. Deaths from cancer fell by 0.6 per cent.

The full publication Births, Marriages and Deaths - Second Quarter 2009 is available on this website.