The number of births has continued to fall in 2026, according to new statistics for the first quarter of this year from National Records of Scotland.
There were 11,347 births registered between January and March. This is 2.6% lower than the quarter one average.
There were 16,382 deaths in quarter one. This is 6.5% lower than the expected number of deaths (17,527). The leading causes of death continue to be cancer, respiratory diseases and Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
There were 170 deaths from influenza in quarter one. For all broad age groups, the number of deaths was lower than the expected number for the first three months of the year.
NRS head of vital events statistics Phillipa Haxton said:
“The number of deaths from influenza was less than half of the number in the same period of 2025 when there were 439 deaths. These figures reflect the earlier peak to the influenza season in 2025-26 compared to the previous winter.”
There were 51 infant deaths, giving a rate of 4.5 per 1,000 live births. This is higher than the quarter one average of 41 deaths and the rate is the joint highest quarterly infant death rate since the fourth quarter of 2011. The long term trend in the infant mortality rate is one of decline. However, in the most recent five years it has risen slightly.
In the same period, there were 37 stillbirths (3.3 per 1,000 live and still births). This is the second lowest rate, for quarter one, over the past decade.
There were 3,310 marriages, 2.2% higher than the first quarter average of 3,240. Of these marriages, 122 (3.7%) were same-sex marriages, compared with the quarter one average of 129 (4.0% of all marriages).
