This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Increase in births
22/12/2005
Births so far this year have been at the highest level since 1999, it was announced today.
There were 14,216 births in the quarter July to September - 2.8 per cent more than in the same quarter last year - and taking the first three quarters together, births in Scotland are now at the highest level for six years.
The figures were released in the third Vital Events Quarterly Return for 2005.
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 six years."
Deaths showed the usual seasonal decline and at 12,805 they were 266 (2 per cent) 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 1,400 (11 per cent) more births than deaths. Births outnumbered deaths in 10 out of 15 Health board areas. But, over the first three quarters of the year, there were almost 1,000 more deaths than births. Marriages in the third quarter of 2005 (12,330) were slightly down on the third quarter of 2004 (12,715).