Birth Rate Falls, Death Rate Rises

Figures are out which show Scotland's births, marriages and deaths for the third quarter of the year.

Provisional figures for births, deaths and other vital events registered during the third quarter of 2015 are published today by the National Records of Scotland.

The statistics show that 13,083 deaths were registered in the third quarter of the year 145 (1.1 per cent) more than in the same period of 2014. This was the highest number of third quarter deaths since 2003 although levels remain substantially lower than those seen in the 1980s and 1990s.

The provisional figures also show that 14,606 births were registered in Scotland in quarter three. 323 (2.2 per cent) fewer than in the same period of 2014. The total number of births for the third quarter fell to a low of around 13,200 in 2001. It then rose to around 15,500 in 2008 before falling more gradually to the current level of around 14,600 in 2015.

There were 11,434 marriages in total, 396 more than in the third quarter of 2014 (a rise of 3.6 per cent). Of these, 475 were same-sex marriages.

There were 17 civil partnerships (8 male and 9 female), 123 fewer than during the third quarter of 2014.

Compared with the same period in 2014, the number of deaths from coronary heart disease fell by 3.4 per cent to 1,553, deaths from stroke fell by 5.4 per cent to 934, and there were 3,979 deaths from cancer. an increase of 1.6 per cent.