Births, deaths & other vital events, 2016 Q3

Provisional figures for vital events registered in Scotland during the third quarter of 2016 were published today by National Records of Scotland.

The statistics show 14,257 births, 13,202 deaths and 11,299 marriages were registered between July and September.

At 14,257, the number of births registered was 353 (2.4 per cent) fewer than in the same period of 2015 and the lowest quarter three total since 2006. The total number of births for the period fell to a low of around 13,200 in 2001. It then rose to around 15,500 in 2008 and has been below 15,000 since 2012.

At 13,202, the number of deaths registered was 116 (0.9 per cent) more than in the same period of 2015. This is the third consecutive increase in the Q3 total and the highest figure for Q3 since 2003. Over the last decade the number of deaths in the third quarter has generally increased apart from an unusually low figure of 12,224 in 2013.

Compared with the third quarter of 2015, the number of deaths from coronary heart disease fell by 8.6 per cent to 1,443. Deaths from respiratory system disease fell by six per cent to 1,398 and there were 3,973 deaths from cancer (a decrease of 0.6 per cent). Deaths from cerebrovascular disease rose by 3.5 per cent to 964 and there was an increase of 21.6 per cent in the number of deaths from Alzheimer’s Disease (461).

The provisional figures also show there were 11,299 marriages in total, 135 fewer than during the third quarter of 2015 (a fall of 1.2 per cent).

There were 355 same-sex marriages, a fall of 121 (25.4 per cent) from the 476 same-sex marriages registered in the same period of 2015. Fifty seven (16 per cent) of the same sex marriages registered in the third quarter were changes from civil partnerships.

There were 25 civil partnerships (17 male and eight female), six more than during the third quarter of 2015.

Notes To Editors

1. The full publication, including figures for NHS Boards and local authority areas, is available from the National Records of Scotland website via:   http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/general-publications/births-deaths-and-other-vital-events-quarterly-figures
2. Figures are provisional as NRS may receive further information (e.g. from Procurators Fiscal following their investigations into certain deaths) which may lead to the figures being revised. Figures for a specific year are finalised when the annual vital events reference tables are published in August of the following year.

Media enquiries should be directed to:

Julie Ramsay: 0131 314 4330

Email: julie.ramsay@nrscotland.gov.uk

Further information about the statistics is available from:

Customer Services

National Records of Scotland

Ladywell House

Ladywell Road

Edinburgh EH12 7TF

Tel: 0131 314 4299

E-mail: statisticscustomerservices@nrscotland.gsi.gov.uk