2016 Births, Deaths and Other Vital Events - Preliminary Annual Figures

Correction: 14 March 2017
An error was found in Table P6. Figures for Tayside and Shetland Health Boards were transposed. These have now been corrected to ensure the correct figures are shown for each Health Board.

This section gives the Registrar General's provisional figures for vital events registered during 2016. A news release entitled Births, Deaths and other Vital Events in Scotland: Preliminary figures for 2016 released accompanies these figures.

Preliminary annual figures

This release presents provisional figures for vital events which were registered in Scotland in 2016. The tables and chart (available below) provide statistics on births, adoptions, marriages, civil partnerships, stillbirth and deaths.

Main Points

• 54,488 births were registered in the year – 612 (1.1 per cent) fewer than in 2015. This is the lowest number of births recorded since 2005 and  continues the general decline in number of births since the most recent peak of 60,041 in 2008.
• 56,728 deaths were registered in Scotland in 2016 – 851 (1.5 per cent) fewer than in 2015. This is the second highest number of deaths recorded since 2003 (2015 was higher).
• Deaths from cancer fell by 1.3 per cent to 15,890, deaths from coronary heart disease fell by 6.9 per cent to 6,651, and there were 4,143 deaths from cerebrovascular disease (a fall of 3.7 per cent). There was a 5.2 per cent fall (to 7,271) in deaths from respiratory diseases.  Deaths from dementia fell by 9.0 per cent to 3,603 and deaths from Alzheimer’s Disease rose by 10.5 per cent to 1,963.
• The number of marriages in 2016 fell by 462 compared to 2015 and levels remain historically low. Of a total of 29,229 marriages registered in 2016, 999 involved same sex couples and, of the same sex marriages, 174 were changes from previous civil partnerships.
• There were 70 civil partnerships (42 male and 28 female), 6 more than during 2015. 

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Notes
Rates for 1994-2000 are based on revised estimates for 1994-2000, which took account of the final census-based population estimates for 2001.

Because of corrections and late registrations the provisional annual totals given in the Preliminary Return may not equal the sum of the figures given in the four Quarterly Returns.

Statistical Service in Scotland

This is an annual publication.

The dates of future publications will be announced on our Future Publications page.

Enquiries and Suggestions

Please contact our Customer Services if you need any further information.
E-mail: statisticscustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk

If you have comments or suggestions that would help us improve our outputs or our standards of service, contact:

Kirsty MacLachlan, Senior Statistician, National Records of Scotland,
Room 1/2/3, Ladywell House, Ladywell Road, Edinburgh. EH12 7TF.
Telephone: (0131) 314 4242
E-mail: kirsty.maclachlan@nrscotland.gov.uk