Births, deaths and other vital events, second quarter 2026: Summary
The number of births was 4.5% lower than average.
10,616 births were registered in 2026 quarter 2. This figure is 4.5% lower than the quarter 2 average of 11,116.
Number of Births by Quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)
The number of deaths was 1.8% lower than expected.
14,542 deaths were registered in April to June 2026. That’s 1.8% below the expected number of deaths, which was 14,803.
Number of Deaths by Quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)
The number of marriages was 3.9% higher than average.
There were 7,909 marriages in the second quarter of 2026. This was 3.9% higher than the second quarter average of 7,613.
Number of Marriages by Quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)
Main points
There were 10,616 births registered in Scotland between 1 April and 30 June 2026. This is 4.5% lower than the quarter two average of 11,116. This figure is the lowest quarterly number of births registrations recorded since quarter two of 2020 when there were restrictions on registering births due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were 14,542 deaths registered in quarter two of 2026. This is 1.8% lower than the expected number of deaths, which was 14,803. However, the number of deaths was closer to the expected number than it has been in recent quarters.
For all broad age groups, the number of deaths was lower than the expected number for quarter two of 2026. Overall, female deaths were 252 (3.4%) lower than the expected number and male deaths were 9 (0.1%) lower than expected in the latest quarter. However, for males up to age 64, the number of deaths was 2.9% higher than expected.
There were 50 stillbirths in quarter two of 2026. The quarter two average is 40. The stillbirth rate was 4.7 per 1,000 live and still births and this quarterly rate is the third highest over the past 5 years. The stillbirth rate exhibits a high degree of fluctuation from quarter to quarter, but has generally been decreasing over the longer term.
There were 38 infant deaths, giving a rate of 3.6 per 1,000 live births, in the second quarter of 2026. This is lower than the quarter two average of 42 infant deaths. Over the longer term, the infant death rate has fallen. However, in the most recent 5 years quarterly rates have been slightly higher overall.
There were 7,909 marriages in quarter two of 2026. This was 3.9% higher than the second quarter average of 7,613. Of these marriages, 308 (3.9%) were same-sex marriages, slightly more than the quarter two average of 280 (3.7% of all marriages).
Of the 320 civil partnerships registered in the second quarter of 2026, 279, or 87%, involved mixed-sex couples. There were 41 same-sex civil partnerships, compared with an average of 29.
Introduction
This release presents provisional figures for vital events which were registered in Scotland in the period from 1 April to 30 June 2026, inclusive. The tables and charts provide statistics on births, stillbirths, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths, including:
quarterly figures for Scotland back to 2014;
the totals for each Local Authority and NHS Board area for the latest quarter; and
more detailed analyses of the numbers of deaths (for example cross-classified by sex, cause and NHS Board area) for the latest quarter.
The quarterly tables can be downloaded from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) website.
Births
There were 10,616 live birth registrations in 2026 quarter two. This is 4.5% lower than the quarter two average of 11,116. This figure is the lowest quarterly number of births registrations recorded since quarter two of 2020 when there were restrictions on registering births due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expressed as a rate, there were 7.7 live births per 1,000 population. The live birth rate has generally been decreasing over time. Ten years ago, in the second quarter of 2016, the birth rate was 10.4 births per 1,000 population.
There were 50 stillbirth registrations in the second quarter of 2026. This is higher than the quarter two average of 40. The stillbirth rate was 4.7 per 1,000 live and still births and this quarterly rate is the third highest over the past 5 years. The stillbirth rate exhibits a high degree of fluctuation from quarter to quarter, but has generally been decreasing over the longer term.
Deaths
In the second quarter of 2026 there were 14,542 deaths. This is 1.8% lower than the expected number of deaths which was 14,803.
Expressed as a rate, there were 10.5 deaths per 1,000 population.
Excess deaths is the difference between the observed number of deaths in a particular period and the number of deaths that would have been expected in that period, based on historical data. The expected number of deaths is estimated from age-specific mortality rates rather than death counts, so trends in population size and age structure are taken into account. This new method for calculating excess deaths was introduced in February 2024 and has been adopted by statistical agencies across the UK. This new method has been applied retrospectively to all of the years included in this publication, and in the associated table. More information about this can be found in the methodology paper on the Office for National Statistics website.
In April 2025, the Office for National Statistics published a blog outlining plans for future improvements to the excess deaths methodology.
Estimates of excess deaths produced by the new methodology are labelled as Official Statistics in Development while further review, testing and development work is undertaken.
Figure 1 illustrates the number of deaths registered each quarter since 2011, and shows the trend in expected deaths and excess deaths. From the second quarter of 2020 to the second quarter of 2023 we had more deaths than expected in most quarters, with the highest quarterly excess deaths seen in 2020 quarter two.
However, in the twelve most recent quarters, from the third quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2026, the total number of deaths registered has been lower than the expected number of deaths.
For the most recent quarter, although the number of deaths was lower than expected, it was closer to the expected number than in other recent quarters which had fewer deaths than expected.
Figure 1: The number of deaths has been lower than the expected level for the twelve most recent quarters
Deaths, expected deaths and excess deaths in Scotland, by quarter
Figure 2 illustrates the number of excess deaths by age group in each quarter since 2013.
For all broad age groups, the number of deaths was below expected levels for the twelve quarters from the third quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2026.
In quarter 2 of 2026 deaths among under 65s were 19 (0.7%) lower than expected, deaths in the 65-79 age group were 17 (0.4%) below expected and deaths for people aged 80 and over were 224 (3.0%) lower than expected levels. Overall, female deaths were 252 (3.4%) below expected and male deaths were 9 (0.1%) lower than expected.
However, for one specific group, males under age 65, there were more deaths than expected. There were 1,575 deaths, which was 2.9% higher than the expected number of 1,530. This is the only group to have more deaths than expected in the past 12 quarters.
Figure 2: In all age groups, the number of deaths has been below expected levels since Q3 of 2023
Excess deaths in Scotland by age group, by quarter
In quarter two of 2026 there were:
4,060 deaths from cancer; 28% of all deaths;
1,518 deaths from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias; 10% of all deaths
1,499 deaths from coronary (ischaemic) heart disease; 10% of all deaths
1,363 deaths from respiratory diseases; 9% of all deaths
825 deaths from cerebrovascular disease; 6% of all deaths.
There were 38 infant deaths in the second quarter of 2026. This is lower than the quarter two average of 42 infant deaths (deaths within the first year of life). The infant death rate of 3.6 deaths per 1,000 live births is slightly below the average rate for quarter two (3.8). Over the longer term, the annual infant death rate had been falling until around 2013 when it started to plateau. Quarterly infant death rates can fluctuate, however in the most recent 5 years the quarterly rates have been slightly higher than in the preceding period.
Marriages and civil partnerships
There were 7,909 marriages in quarter two of 2026. This was 3.9% higher than the second quarter average of 7,613.
There were 308 same-sex marriages; 3.9% of the total, which is slightly more than the average of 280 (3,7%) for quarter two.
The number of marriages began to increase after the COVID-19 restrictions, which were first put in place in quarter 2 of 2020, were eased. Quarter three of 2021 was the first to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Since June 2021 mixed-sex couples have been able to form a civil partnership. Of the 320 civil partnerships registered in the second quarter of 2026, 279, (87% of the total) involved mixed-sex couples. There were 41 same-sex civil partnerships, compared with an average of 29.
Natural change (births minus deaths)
For the latest four quarter period (2025 Q3 to 2026 Q2) there were 44,786 births and 61,468 deaths, a difference of 16,682 fewer births compared to deaths.
Having fewer births than deaths in a population is referred to as ‘negative natural change’, meaning that without external factors (such as migration) the population will fall. Scotland has been in a position of negative natural change since the four-quarter period ending 2015 Q1. Prior to this, there was a sustained period of positive natural change (i.e. more births than deaths) going back to 2006. As can be seen from Figure 3, the gap between births and deaths has fluctuated over time and there have been several periods of both positive and negative natural change over the last 50 years. In the last few years, the gap between births and deaths has been wider than at any other point during this time period.
Figure 3: For the latest four quarter period (2025 Q3 to 2026 Q2) there were 16,682 more deaths than births
Births, deaths and marriages registered in rolling periods of four quarters
Note: The number of birth registrations in the quarters of 2020 do not reflect the number of births which occurred.
Information about our statistics
This is a quarterly publication. NRS collects the underlying data on a daily basis, as and when each event is registered. The statistics for 2026 are provisional and likely to be finalised in summer 2027 respectively.
Finalised Vital Events statistics for calendar years as a whole can be found in the Vital Events Reference Tables.
You can get other detailed statistics that we have produced from the Statistics section of our website. Scottish Census statistics are available on the Scotland’s Census website.
Information about the sources, methods, definitions and reliability of these statistics is available from the following NRS web archive pages:
Estimates of excess deaths produced by the new methodology are labelled as Official Statistics in Development while further review, testing and development work is undertaken.
With the exception of the statistics on excess deaths, these statistics are designated as Accredited Official Statistics. More information about Official Statistics can be found on the Statistics governance and consultation page.
We also provide information about upcoming publications on our website.
If you would like receive updates on our statistics, you can register your interest on the Scottish Government ScotStat website.
