2018

Statistics published today by National Records of Scotland, as part of the National Life Tables, show that life expectancy for those born in Scotland in 2015-2017 was 77.0 years for males and 81.1 years for females. This represents a slight decrease over the last year following three years with little or no change, indicating a stall in life expectancy improvements in Scotland

Life expectancy at birth

• Life expectancy for those born in 2015-2017 was 77.0 years for males and 81.1 years for females.
• Over the past 35 years life expectancy in Scotland has increased by 7.9 years for males and 5.8 years for females.
• Between 2014-2016 and 2015-2017 life expectancy decreased by approximately 0.1 years for both males and females. This is the first time that life expectancy estimates have decreased for both sexes in the past 35 years.
• There was very little change between the 2012-2014 and 2014-2016 life expectancy estimates, indicating that life expectancy has stalled in Scotland.
• Female life expectancy has remained higher than male life expectancy throughout the last 35 years. However, the gap has decreased from 6.2 years for people born in 1980-1982 to 4.1 years for people born in 2015-2017
• The 2016-based population projections for Scotland project that life expectancy will increase in the future, reaching 81.7 years for males and 84.5 years for females by 2041. 

Scotland’s life expectancy compared to the rest of the UK

• Scotland has the lowest life expectancy of all UK countries.
• Between 2014-2016 and 2015-2017 life expectancy for the UK as a whole remained virtually unchanged. There was a very slight increase for males in England but decreases for males in Northern Ireland and males and females in Wales similar to those seen in Scotland.

The publication Life Tables for Scotland 2015-2017 and an Infographic are available on this website

There were 12,973 births and 13,621 deaths registered in Scotland between 1 April and 30 June 2018, according to provisional figures released today by National Records of Scotland. Compared to the quarter two average for the last five years, births have fallen (5 per cent lower) and deaths were broadly similar (0.5 per cent higher).

The publication, Births, deaths and other vital events, second quarter 2018, shows that at 12,973, the number of births registered was 0.1 per cent higher than in the same period of 2017 and the second lowest quarter two total since 2003 (quarter two of 2017 was the lowest).

At 13,621, the number of deaths registered was 1.2 per cent lower than in the same period of 2017. Following a long-term downward trend in deaths, reaching a low of 12,770 in quarter two of 2009, the number of deaths in the second quarter has begun to rise although there has been little change in the last five years.

Compared with the second quarter of 2017:

• The number of cancer deaths rose by 2.0 per cent to 3,920;
• Deaths from respiratory diseases fell by 11.1 per cent (by 183 to 1,464);
• The number of deaths from coronary heart disease fell by 1.0 per cent to 1,581.
• The number of deaths from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease fell by 8.6 per cent to 1,380;
• There were 860 deaths from cerebrovascular disease (a decrease of 5.8 per cent); 

The provisional figures also show there were 7,820 marriages in total, 197 fewer than during the second quarter of 2017 (a fall of 2.5 per cent). There were 253 same-sex marriages, a fall of 13 (5.4 per cent) compared with the same period of 2017. Eighteen (7.1 per cent) of the same sex marriages registered in the second quarter were changes from civil partnerships. 

There were 15 civil partnerships (7 male and 8 female), five more than during the second quarter of 2017.

Anne Slater, the Registrar General for Scotland, said:

“Following the sharp increase in quarter one deaths in 2018, the number of deaths in quarter two have returned to normal levels for the time of year.  Although there was a very small increase in births compared to the same quarter last year, births were five per cent lower than the quarter two average for the last five years and the latest quarter represents the second lowest quarter two total since 2003.”

Figures published today by the National Records of Scotland provide the latest mid-2017 population estimates for Scotland’s small areas, known as data zones.

These statistics provide important information at neighbourhood level and can be used as building blocks to provide estimates for a variety of geographies, including wards, parliamentary constituencies, urban/rural and deprived areas. They also feed into the development of the Scottish Government’s Urban Rural Classification and the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).

Key findings from the latest statistics:

• As at mid-2017, the average data zone population in Scotland was 755 people. The council area with the highest average data zone population was City of Edinburgh (836), whereas the council area with the lowest average data zone population was Argyll and Bute (677).
   
• The majority of data zones (84.1%) had a population of between 500 people but fewer than 1,000 people, which is consistent with the population thresholds used in the design of data zones.
   
• There were 337 data zones (4.8%) with a population of fewer than 500 people while there were 772 (11.1%) data zones with a population of 1,000 people or more. These changes are mainly due to housing developments and demolitions.
   
• The median age varied considerably across data zones from 19 years to 72 years. The most common age group was 48 to 49 years, with 733 data zones having a median age in this range.
   
•  70.9% of the population of Scotland live in large urban and other urban areas (settlements of 10,000 or more people; based on the Scottish Government Urban Rural 2016 Classification) 

The full publication, infographic summary and detailed data zone tables are available on the NRS website - Mid-2017 Small Area Population Estimates Scotland. You can also search for a postcode on statistics.gov.scot to see the map of the data zone it is in and access the latest population estimates by sex and age.

NRS have also updated tables 7 and 8 in their Age-standardised Death Rates publication for 2017 and added a new table showing age-standardised death rates by SIMD quintile for selected causes of death

Records tell story of women’s suffrage in Scotland.

A new exhibition by National Records of Scotland (NRS) brings together records of the suffragettes and the Scottish justice system for the first time.

Protests and arrests, hunger strikes and force-feeding are revealed in government, court and prison records, as well as notes from prison attendants, doctors and other officials.

The exhibition features some of the most active suffragettes in Scotland, such as Ethel Moorhead, Frances Gordon and Arabella Scott, who all underwent repeated imprisonment and force-feeding.

Documents from a private collection on display for the first time shine a light on the wider suffragist movement in Scotland, including the diaries of prominent suffragist Lady Frances Balfour, as well as a wide range of letters, newspaper cuttings, trial papers and personal correspondence.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop, said:

“Celebrating the centenary of some women securing the right to vote in the UK is an opportunity to reflect on the actions of the suffragists and the suffragettes, whose campaign for the vote marks an important milestone in women’s history. This exhibition demonstrates how much commitment these remarkable women showed to their cause.

“While we have a come a long way since 1918, much still needs to be done to achieve gender equality and create a fairer country for all. This anniversary is a great occasion to inject new momentum into supporting women’s contribution to Scottish public, political and cultural life.”

Anne Slater, acting Chief Executive, NRS, said: “This fascinating collection of documents from NRS archives offers insight into the lives and activities of prominent figures in the women’s suffrage movement in Scotland, particularly their many confrontations with the justice system.”

To complement our exhibition, we have a series of free talks covering different aspects of the women’s suffrage movement. Details of these talks and how to book can be found on our Events, Talks and Visits page.

Further exhibition information

Malicious Mischief? Women’s Suffrage in Scotland
1 August – 31 August 2018
Mondays to Fridays, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Free entry
General Register House, Matheson Dome
2 Princes Street
Edinburgh

Contact: Donna Green, 0131-535 1307

Scotland’s population is growing and ageing, according to a report published today by National Records of Scotland.

Scotland’s Population 2017 - The Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends is a compendium of statistics published throughout the year which paint a picture of modern Scotland. The Review has been published since 1855, and this is the 163rd edition.

Key trends identified in this year’s review include:

• Scotland’s population is at its highest ever at 5,424,800 in 2017. Migration is the main reason for Scotland’s population increase over the past 10 years, although population growth has slowed.
• Overall, Scotland’s population is projected to rise and age, but with some areas projected to face depopulation.
• Life expectancy has increased over the past three decades, but has stalled in recent years. Life expectancy varies within Scotland.
• There were just over 5,000 more deaths than births in 2017. 

Amy Wilson, Director of Statistical and Registration Services at National Records of Scotland said:

“The Registrar General’s Annual Review, published every year since 1855, gives us a chance to reflect on our changing population and demographic trends.

“This year’s review shows that while the population of Scotland is at its highest ever, at 5.42 million, and has grown by 5% over the last decade, this growth rate has slowed. Over the latest year, Scotland’s population has grown at a slower rate than on average over the past 10 years. This is because of reduced migration levels as well as an increase in the number of deaths and decrease in the number of births.

“However, Scotland’s population is still projected to increase to 5.58 million in 2026, and to continue rising to reach 5.69 million in 2041. We expect this growth to be entirely reliant on migration, as the number of deaths are projected to continue to be higher than the number of births.”

The Review includes an invited chapter written by analysts at NHS Health Scotland, which explores the concept of burden of disease. The Review is published alongside an infographic report.

Statistics published today by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) show that the number of households in Scotland is projected to continue to increase, rising by 317,000 between 2016 and 2041.

The number of households headed by someone aged 70 or over is projected to increase by 58 per cent, compared to an increase of just 2 per cent for those under 70. Older people are more likely to live alone than younger people, and the number of people aged 70 and over living alone is projected to increase by 49 per cent over the next 25 years, to 146,000 men and 247,000 women.  The gender difference reflects women’s greater life expectancy and tendency to outlive their partners.

Anne Slater, the National Records of Scotland (NRS) acting Chief Executive and Registrar General, said:

“The figures published today by National Records of Scotland show a projected 317,000 extra households in Scotland in 2041 compared to 2016. This is partly because Scotland’s population is projected to increase in this period, but also because of our ageing population. Older people are more likely to live alone than younger people, and as more people live alone or in smaller households, the number of households will rise at a faster rate than the population.”

Projected number of households in Scotland by age of head of household, 2016 and 2041

Background

The full publication 'Household Projections for Scotland, 2016-based', an infographic summary and interactive visualisations are available on the NRS website.

Household numbers are projected to increase in almost every council area over the next 25 years. The largest projected percentage increases are in Midlothian, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh (36, 26 and 26 per cent  increase respectively). Household numbers are projected to fall in just four council areas: Na h-Eileanan Siar, Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute and North Ayrshire, with decreases of 6, 5, 2 and less than one per cent respectively.

The number of households is projected to increase in each of the four Strategic Development Plan areas in Scotland from 2016 to 2041, ranging from an increase of 11 per cent in the TAYplan area to an increase of 20 per cent in the SESplan area.

While a seven per cent increase is projected in the number of households in Cairngorms National Park, an eight per cent decrease is projected in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (LLTNP).

There were 934 drug-related deaths registered in Scotland in 2017, 66 (8 per cent) more than in 2016, according to figures released today by the National Records of Scotland (NRS). 

This is the largest number of drug-related deaths in Scotland since the series began in 1996, and more than double the figure for 2007 (455). 

These statistics are contained in “Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2017”, which also reveals that:

• Males accounted for 70 per cent of the drug-related deaths in 2017.
• There were 360 drug-related deaths of people aged 35-44 (39 per cent of all drug-related deaths), 268 deaths in the 45-54 age-group (29 per cent) and 185 drug-related deaths of 25-34 year olds (20 per cent).
• The NHS Board areas with the most drug-related deaths in 2017 were:
  • Greater Glasgow & Clyde – 280 (30 per cent);
  • Lothian – 137 (15 per cent);
  • Lanarkshire – 102 (11 per cent); and
  • Tayside – 94 (10 per cent).

• Opiates or opioids, such as heroin, morphine and methadone, were implicated in, or potentially contributed to, 815 deaths (87 per cent of the total number in 2017). Benzodiazepines such as diazepam and etizolam were implicated in, or otentially contributed to, 552 deaths (59 per cent).   

• Scotland’s figures imply a drug-death rate that is higher than those reported for any EU country (though there are issues of coding, coverage and under-reporting in some countries – refer to Annex G of the publication), and roughly 2½ times that of the UK as a whole.

NRS has also today published statistics of deaths in Scotland which were caused by volatile substances, which have recently averaged around a dozen deaths per year, and deaths by helium - latterly, about half a dozen per year, on average.

The full publication Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2017 is available on this website.

Statistics of deaths caused by volatile substances and by helium, including breakdowns by age-group and sex, for the years from 2000 to 2017, is also available from the 'Deaths' part of this website.

There were 5,022 more deaths than births registered in Scotland in 2017, a widening of the gap since 2016 when there were 2,240 more deaths than births, according to figures released today by National Records of Scotland.

The publication, Vital Events Reference Tables 2017, shows that at 57,883, the number of deaths registered was 1,155 (2.0 per cent) more than in 2016 and the number of births registered was 52,861, a decrease of 1,627 (3.0 per cent) on 2016 levels.

There were 28,440 marriages in 2017, a decrease of 789 (2.7 per cent) on 2016.  Of these, 982 were same sex marriages (a fall of 1.6 per cent since 2016).  There were 70 civil partnerships, the same number as in the previous year.

There were 225 stillbirths (4.2 per 1,000 live and still births) and 176 infant deaths (3.3 per 1,000 live births) – representing the third and second lowest rates ever with the lowest rates being observed in 2015.

The leading cause of death in 2017 was ischaemic heart disease, which accounted for 11.6 per cent of all deaths, closely followed by dementia and Alzheimer’s disease which accounted for 11.3 per cent of all deaths.  Lung cancer was the third most common cause, accounting for 7.0 per cent of all deaths.

Compared with 2016:

• Grouping all types of cancer together, the number of deaths rose by 1.9 per cent to 16,207;
• Deaths from respiratory diseases fell by 6.1 per cent (by 442 to 6,854);
• The number of deaths from ischaemic heart disease rose by 0.4 per cent to 6,727;
• The number of deaths from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease rose by 17.6 per cent to 6,549 (although part of this increase will be due to a change in methodology – refer to note below);
• There were 3,927 deaths from cerebrovascular disease (a decrease of 5.2 per cent);

NRS also published deaths by specific causes  which showed that in 2017:

• There were 1,120 alcohol-specific deaths, 2 per cent fewer than in 2016 but more than in than each of the four previous years;
• There were 2,348 accidental deaths, an increase of 6 per cent compared with 2016;
• There were 680 probable suicides, seven per cent fewer than the previous year.
• Slightly over a quarter of all deaths registered in Scotland were from causes which (subject to age limits) are considered potentially avoidable (either through public health interventions or timely and effective healthcare).
• Age-standardised death rates (which take account of changes to the population size and structure) rose by one per cent between 2016 and 2017 for all ages whilst there was a decrease of three per cent in the age-standardised death rate for under 75s.

Anne Slater, the Acting Registrar General for Scotland, said:

“With a growing and ageing population, it may be expected that the number of deaths will increase.  The age-standardised death rate adjusts for changes to the population structure and has had a greater decrease over time than the number of deaths.  However, there has been no improvement in the age-standardised death rate in the last three years, suggesting that we may be reaching a turning point, or a plateau in the long-term downward trend in mortality.”

There were 2,060 more deaths and 539 fewer births registered in Scotland between 1 January and 31 March 2018 than in the same period of 2017, according to provisional figures released today by National Records of Scotland.

The publication, Births, deaths and other vital events, 2018 Q1, shows that at 12,713, the number of births registered was 539 (4.1 per cent) fewer than in the same period of 2017 and the lowest quarter one total since 2002.

At 17,771, the number of deaths registered was 2,060 (13.1 per cent) more than in the same period of 2017. In the first half of the last decade the number of deaths in the first quarter continued the previous downward trend, falling from 15,073 in 2008 to a recent low of 13,959 in 2014. Since then, numbers have been increasing and 2018 has the highest first quarter total since 1986.

Compared with the first quarter of 2017:

• The number of cancer deaths rose by 1.3 per cent to 4,199;
• Deaths from respiratory diseases rose by 35.8 per cent (by 753 to 2,855) and within this group there was a large increase in the number of influenza deaths (by 360 per cent from 72 to 331);
• The number of deaths from coronary heart disease rose by 5.4 per cent to 1,916;
• The number of deaths from dementia rose by 15.0 per cent to 1,416;
• There were 1,220 deaths from cerebrovascular disease (an increase of 11.1 per cent);
• There was an increase of 22.5 per cent in the number of deaths from Alzheimer’s Disease (795).

The provisional figures also show there were 3,462 marriages in total, 116 fewer than during the first quarter of 2017 (a fall of 3.2 per cent). There were 130 same-sex marriages, a fall of 15 (10.3 per cent) compared with the same period of 2017. Twenty-two (16.9 per cent) of the same sex marriages registered in the first quarter were changes from civil partnerships. 

There were 14 civil partnerships (10 male and 4 female), four more than during the first quarter of 2017.

Anne Slater, the Acting Registrar General for Scotland, said:

“Over the longer term, deaths from coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease have decreased considerably whilst the number of deaths from cancer and respiratory disease has risen slightly.  There has been a relatively large increase in the number of deaths from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease with such deaths now accounting for more than 10 per cent of all deaths compared to 5 per cent a decade ago.”

In 2017, the number of non-British nationals living in Scotland rose by 12% to 378,000, according to statistics published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).

The number of EU nationals increased by 26,000 to 235,000 in this time, with the number of non-EU nationals increasing by 14,000 to 142,000. Overall, 7% of the resident population of Scotland have non-British nationality.

Polish was the most common non-British nationality in Scotland in 2017, with an estimated 99,000 residents accounting for 26% of the total non-British population. Polish nationals account for 2% of residents in Scotland overall.

The council area with the highest proportion of residents who are non-British nationals was Aberdeen City, with 21% of residents (48,000 persons) holding non-British nationality.

Population by Country of Birth and Nationality statistics are based on the Annual Population Survey, which is the largest household survey in the UK (other than the Census and Census coverage survey).

The full publication for Population by Country of Birth and Nationality, Scotland, 2017 can be accessed on the NRS website. The additional tables provide data by both country of birth and nationality for Scotland and council areas. Infographics summarising the key trends are also available for this publication.