National Records of Scotland

Preserving the past, Recording the present, Informing the future

2013

Valuation Rolls for 1920 Go Online

Monday, 28 Oct 2013
Image of Shinness Lodge National Records of Scotland, RHP3353

‘Homes fit for heroes’? Newly-available historical records offer a fascinating snapshot of Scottish society in the wake of the First World War.

The names and addresses of more than 2.6 million people living in post-war Scotland have been added to ScotlandsPeople. The release of the Scottish Valuation Rolls for 1920 is the fourth set in an ongoing series of resources to become fully searchable online for the first time. 

Comprising over 76,000 digital images taken from 169 volumes held in the National Records of Scotland, the Valuation Rolls cover every type of property in Scotland that was assessed as having a rateable value in 1920. As the records contain details for the owners and occupiers of properties, they offer genealogists and historians fresh insight into Scottish society in 1920. 

Each Valuation Roll entry on the website is fully searchable by name and address. The records list the names of owners, tenants and occupiers of each property - in many cases occupations are also included. The Rolls include all types of property, from castles and mansions to crofts and tenements, and name people from across the whole social spectrum. 

The 1920 Rolls also reveal some fascinating trends in Scotland’s social history, such as the building of the first council housing estate, and the growth of urban allotments and gardens cultivated by working class gardeners to achieve self-sufficiency. The Rolls also highlight how Scotland’s large houses and estates were responding to the pressure of death duties and other tax burdens from 1918 onwards, and how this provided new opportunities for tenant farmers to buy their own farms. 

Detail of plan showing farm at West Ingliston, National Records of Scotland, IRS119/41

Researchers at the National Records of Scotland have also been spotting celebrities and the ancestors of famous people in the records, and have highlighted entries for Muriel Spark’s father, Sir William Burrell, Sir Harry Lauder, Sir Matt Busby’s family, Bill Shankly, Samuel Peploe, and the great-grandparents of The Proclaimers. The researchers have even found a quirky entry for a cottage in Dunblane, named after the subject of a poem by Robert Tannahill, the contemporary of Burns.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs in the Scottish Government, said:

“ScotlandsPeople is a wonderful resource that enables Scots, those of Scottish descent and anyone with an interest in Scotland to discover more about our nation’s fascinating family and social history. The release of the Valuation Rolls for 1920 strengthens the digital tapestry of Scotland’s story that is available through Scotland’s national archive.”

Tim Ellis, Chief Executive of the National Records of Scotland and Keeper of the Records of Scotland, said:

“The release of the Valuation Rolls for 1920 will be of enormous help for family and local history research, enabling people to discover ancestors and where and how they were living almost a decade after the Census of 1911. The newly-available records are part of the commitment by the National Records of Scotland to improve our service to the public and provide researchers with the resources that they need.”

The 1920 Valuation Rolls are available (with the rolls for 1895, 1905 and 1915) on the ScotlandsPeople website, in the ScotlandsPeople Centre in General Register House, Edinburgh, and at local family history centres in Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Hawick and Inverness.

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Winter Mortality in Scotland - 2012/13

Wednesday, 23 Oct 2013
Demography News Release Image

The number of deaths registered in Scotland during winter 2012/13 was the sixth lowest since records began more than 60 years ago.

Figures released today by the National Records of Scotland show there were 19,908 deaths registered in Scotland in the four months to March 2013. While this was more than the number registered during the same period in 2011/12, it was still the sixth lowest number of deaths registered in Scotland in the winter since records began in 1951/52 (winter 2011/12 had the lowest figure: 19,119).

The 19,908 deaths registered in the four winter months of 2012/13 exceeded both the 17,773 deaths in the preceding four-month period and the 18,045 deaths in the following four-month period.

The seasonal difference (comparing the four winter months with the average of the four-month periods before and after the winter, and rounding the result) was 2,000 for winter 2012/13. This was about 600 more than the corresponding figure of 1,420 for winter 2011/12. However, it was the fourth lowest figure of any of the 62 winters for which these statistics have been produced (the 1,420 for winter 2011/12 was the lowest value). The last thirteen years have had eight out of the twelve lowest figures in the 62 winters for which these statistics are available.

Commenting on ‘Winter Mortality in Scotland - 2012/13’, Tim Ellis, Chief Executive of the National Records of Scotland, said:

"There are always more deaths in the winter in Scotland than in any other season, but last year had one of the lowest seasonal increases since we started collecting this data, in 1951/52. Only three other years have been lower.

"The long-term trend over the last 60 years or so has clearly been downward, although the five-year moving average, which smoothes out much of the year-to-year fluctuation, show relatively little change in recent years, at around 2,500 ‘additional’ winter deaths.

"There is no single cause of additional deaths in winter. Very few are caused by hypothermia and only a small proportion by influenza. Most are from respiratory and circulatory diseases such as pneumonia, coronary heart disease and stroke.”

Figure 1 on the NRS website shows how the seasonal increase in mortality, and the 5-year moving average, have tended (in general) to decline since winter 1951/52 - and that there have been some considerable year-to-year fluctuations.

The full publication ‘Winter Mortality in Scotland 2012/13’ is available on the NRS(GROS) website.

 

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Scotland’s Changing Population

Thursday, 17 Oct 2013
Demography News Release Image

National Records of Scotland (NRS) today publishes ‘Scotland’s Population 2012 – the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends’.

This report is a compendium that brings together key demographic information from a range of publications produced by NRS. It has been produced annually since it was first published in 1855.

Publishing his first annual report, Registrar General Tim Ellis said today:

“As Registrar General, I am pleased to publish this, the 158th edition of the Registrar General’s Annual Review. National Records of Scotland has responsibility for demographic statistics and we take pride in the quality of the statistics we produce. This latest report follows on from our recent releases of information derived from the 2011 Census and provides data which will support and inform policy makers and service providers as they work towards planning for Scotland’s future.

“Our statistics show that in 2012 Scotland’s population reached an all-time high of 5,313,600. This increase is mostly because more people are coming into Scotland than leaving it, and also because we are seeing more births than deaths.

“As well as a growing population, the report also shows that the population is continuing to age, life expectancy is increasing and the number of households is continuing to rise. However the picture is varied across areas in Scotland.

“Civil registration records in Scotland show that in recent years, there have been more births than deaths. This was still the case last year but the gap has narrowed, with a slight decline in the number of births and a slight increase in the number of deaths. However, levels of both births and deaths continue to be relatively small in historical terms. Marriages and Civil Partnership also increased in 2012.”

The Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends shows that:

  • The estimated population of Scotland on 30 June 2012 was 5,313,600 (based on the 2011 census), the highest ever.
  • There were 58,027  births registered in Scotland in 2012. This was 563 (1.0 per cent) fewer births than in 2011.
  • There were 54,937 deaths registered in Scotland in 2012. This was 1,276 (2.4 per cent) more than in 2011.
  • In the year to 30 June 2012, 81,000 people came to Scotland (from the rest of the UK and overseas) and 68,300 left Scotland (to the rest of the UK and overseas). Giving a net-gain of 12,700, lower than the previous year’s high of 27,000. This change is mostly due to a lower net gain of people from overseas.
  • There were 30,534 marriages in Scotland in 2012, 1,399 (4.8 per cent) more than in 2011. The number of civil partnerships also increased by 20 to 574 (3.6 per cent increase).
  • In 2012, there were 495 adoptions recorded in Scotland. This is one fewer than in 2011.
  • In mid-2012, there were 2.39 million households in Scotland, which is an increase of around 175,000 over the past ten years.

Population

The estimated population of Scotland on 30 June 2012 was 5,313,600 (based on the 2011 census), the highest ever.

The population of Scotland increased by around 13,700 in the 12 months between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2012, an increase of 0.3 per cent.

The increase in the population in the 12 months to 30 June 2012 was mainly due to:

  • 12,700 more people coming to Scotland than leaving; and
  • 4,223 more births than deaths.

The age of the population of Scotland was as follows:

  • 17 per cent of people were aged under 16
  • 66 per cent of people were aged 16 to 64
  • 17 per cent of people were aged 65 and over.

Scotland’s population has been fairly stable over the past 50 years. It last peaked at 5.24 million in 1974 before falling to 5.05 million in 2002. It then increased each year to reach a new peak of 5.31 million in 2012. That increase has mainly been the result of more people moving to Scotland than leaving although net migration in the latest year has gone down compared with recent years.

2010-based population projections suggest that the population of Scotland will rise to 5.76 million by 2035 and that the population will age significantly, with the number of people aged 65 and over increasing by 63 per cent, from 0.88 million to 1.43 million. New projections based on 2012 estimates will be released in November 2013.

Births

There were 58,027 births registered in Scotland in 2012.

There were 563 (1.0 per cent) fewer births in 2012 than in 2011. This is the fourth year the number of births has fallen (following increases in each of the previous six years).

The average age of mothers has increased from 27.4 in 1991 to 29.7 in 2012. Similarly, the average age of fathers has increased from 30.0 in 1991 to 32.5 in 2012.

The percentage of babies born to unmarried couples is 51.3 per cent in 2012. Most births are registered by both parents.

Eighty five per cent of mothers who gave birth in Scotland in 2012 were born in the UK, including 76 per cent who were born in Scotland. 7 per cent of mothers had been born elsewhere in the European Union (EU), including 4 per cent from the countries which joined the EU in 2004 (such as Poland).

For 15 per cent of births in 2012 neither parent was born in Scotland (compared with 9 per cent in 2003) and for 10 per cent of births neither parent was born in the UK (compared with 3 per cent in 2003).

Deaths

There were 54,937 deaths registered in Scotland in 2012. This was 1,276 (2.4 per cent) more than in 2011. An increase was not unexpected because 2011 had the lowest total recorded since the introduction of civil registration in 1855.

The main causes of deaths were:

  • cancer, which caused 15,864 deaths (29 per cent of all deaths);
  • ischaemic (coronary) heart disease, which caused 7,541 deaths (14 per cent of all deaths);
  • respiratory system diseases (such as pneumonia), which caused 7,168 deaths (13 per cent of all deaths); and
  • cerebrovascular disease (stroke), which caused 4,475 deaths (8 per cent of all deaths).

The percentage of deaths caused by coronary heart disease has fallen from 29 per cent in 1980-1982 to 14 per cent in 2012, and the percentage for strokes has reduced from 14 per cent to 8 per cent, but the percentage of deaths caused by cancer has risen from 22 per cent to 29 per cent. However, the average age of death from cancer has risen, and the age-standardised death rate for cancer (which takes account of the change in the age-distribution of the population) has fallen by about a sixth since the start of the 1980s.

Death rates from cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke in Scotland are well above the rates for the other countries in the UK.

There were 274 stillbirths and 217 infant deaths in 2012. Death rates for both have improved significantly. The rate of stillbirths has dropped from 13.1 for every 1,000 births (live births and stillbirths) in 1971 to 4.7 in 2012. The infant death rate fell from 19.9 for every 1,000 live births in 1971 to 3.7 in 2012.

Life expectancy

Based on 2001 Census population estimates, life expectancy in Scotland has improved greatly over the last 25 years, increasing from 69.1 years for men and 75.3 years for women born around 1981 to 76.1 years for men and 80.6 years for women born around 2010.

Life expectancy estimates using population estimates based on the 2011 Census will be published in spring 2014.

Migration (people moving into and out of the country)

In the last half of the 20th century, more people tended to leave Scotland than move here. However, since 2002, this has changed.

In the year to 30 June 2012, the number of people moving to Scotland from other parts of the UK, and the number moving out of Scotland to other parts of the UK were as follows.

  • 45,100 people came to Scotland from the rest of the UK; and
  • 42,100 people left Scotland for other parts of the UK.

This movement of people increased the population by around 3,000 people, similar to recent years.

In the year to 30 June 2012, the number of people moving to Scotland from overseas and the number moving out of Scotland to go overseas were as follows.

  • 35,900 people came to Scotland from overseas; and
  • 26,200 people left Scotland to go overseas.

This movement of people increased the population by around 9,700, lower than the net gains from recent years.

Most people moving to and from Scotland are young – between 16 and 34, with smaller peaks for children under 5 moving to and from Scotland.

The 2011 Census results show that:

  • Of the 7 per cent (369,000) of people in Scotland who were not born in the UK, 15 per cent (55,000) were born in Poland, and 6 per cent (23,000) were born in each of India and the Republic of Ireland.
  • Over half (55 per cent) of people living in Scotland who were born abroad arrived in the UK between 2004 and March 2011.

Marriages and civil partnerships

There were 30,534 marriages in Scotland in 2012. This includes 7,259 marriages (24 per cent) where neither the bride nor groom lived in Scotland, but does not include people living in Scotland who marry elsewhere.

The average age at which people marry for the first time has increased by around two years since 2002, to 32.9 years for men and 31.0 years for women.

Just over half of all marriages (51 per cent) were civil ceremonies, carried out by a registrar – compared with just under one-third (31 per cent) in 1971. During 2012, 8,144 civil ceremonies were conducted at approved places. This is compared to 3,465 in 2003, the first full year of these arrangements.

Most religious marriages were carried out by Church of Scotland ministers (5,508), with clergy from the Roman Catholic Church carrying out 1,827 marriages. Celebrants from the Humanist Society of Scotland, authorised to carry out marriages since 2005, officiated at 3,052 marriages compared with 2,486 in 2011.

In 2012 there were 574 civil partnerships – 257 male couples and 317 female couples.

Adoptions

In 2012, there were 495 adoptions recorded in Scotland. The number of adoptions each year is around a quarter of what it used to be in the early 1970s. 

Households and housing

In mid-2012, there were 2.39 million households in Scotland, which is an increase of around 175,000 over the past ten years.

The number of households has been increasing over the years, but this growth has slowed since 2007. There was an increase of 10,778 households from 2011 to 2012, which was the lowest seen in the last ten years.

The increase in the number of households is the result of an ageing population, and more people living alone or in smaller households, as well as an increase in the population.

Thirty-eight per cent of dwellings in Scotland are entitled to a Council Tax discount because there is only one adult living there (alone, with children or with those ‘disregarded’ for Council Tax purposes). The proportion of people living alone is higher in urban areas and in more deprived areas.

Across Scotland in 2012, 2.9 per cent of homes were empty and 1.5 per cent were second homes, though there are wide differences across the country. There are more empty homes in more deprived areas, and more second homes in the remote rural areas.

There are higher proportions of flats in urban areas, and in more deprived areas. The average number of rooms per dwelling is lower in more deprived areas, and in urban areas.

The full publication, ‘Scotland’s Population 2012 – the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends’, is available on the NRS website

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Number of Centenarians in Scotland Continues to Increase

Tuesday, 1 Oct 2013
Number of Centenarians in Scotland Continues to Increase

The number of people in Scotland living for more than a century continues to grow.

Figures published today by the National Records of Scotland (NRS), based on the 2011 Census, estimate that in 2012 there were 800 centenarians living in Scotland. 

NRS Chief Executive Tim Ellis said:

“The number of centenarians living in Scotland has been steadily rising, from 510 in 2001 to 800 in 2012, which is a growth of 57 per cent. 

“In 2012 there were 18 male centenarians per hundred female centenarians, an increase from 13 in 2001, indicating a narrowing of the gap in mortality between men and women for this age group. 

“Estimates of the number of people aged 90 to 99 show relatively big increases in 2011 and 2012. This is partly due to births in 1920 and 1921 being much higher than in the preceding years. The number of births in 1920 was the highest since the introduction of national registration in 1855.”

A century ago living to a hundred was very uncommon, but this changed at the beginning of the 21st century when estimates showed there were over 500 people aged 100 years old and over in Scotland. The number of centenarians has been increasing ever since.

The overwhelming majority of centenarians are women. In 2012, women accounted for 680 (85 per cent) of Scotland’s centenarians while 120 men had reached the milestone. In 2012, almost three quarters of people in their 90s were women (73 per cent).

Since 2001, the number of centenarians relative to the rest of the population has increased. However, there are still less than 2 centenarians for every 10,000 people (1.5 per 10,000).

The full publication, Centenarians in Scotland 2011 & 2012, is available on the NRS website

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Census 2011: Key results on Population, Ethnicity, Identity, Language, Religion, Health, Housing and Accommodation in Scotland – Release 2A

Thursday, 26 Sep 2013
Census 2011: Key results on Population, Ethnicity, Identity, Language, Religion, Health, Housing and Accommodation in Scotland – Release 2A

The latest results from the 2011 Census in Scotland show that Scotland is becoming more ethnically and religiously diverse, with an increasing number of people who live in Scotland being born outside of the UK.

The statistics published today by the Registrar General for Scotland on the Scotland’s Census  website, provide estimates of many of the defining characteristics of the population as well as information on tenure and car ownership at national, council area and health board level.

Key points

Marital and civil partnership status

  • Whilst still the most common status, the proportion of adults [Footnote 1] in Scotland who are married decreased by five percentage points since 2001 to 45 per cent.
  • The proportion of adults who are single (never married or never registered a same-sex civil partnership) rose to 35 per cent in 2011, an increase of five percentage points (300,000 people) from 2001.
  • There were 7,000 people (0.2 per cent of adults) who reported that they were in registered same-sex civil partnerships.

Ethnic group

  • Four per cent of people in Scotland were from minority ethnic groups [Footnote 2] – an increase of two percentage points since 2001.
  • The Asian population is the largest minority ethnic group (three per cent of the total population or 141,000 people) and has seen an increase of one percentage point (69,000) since 2001.
  • Just over one per cent (1.2 per cent or 61,000) of the population recorded their ethnic group as White: Polish. The cities of Edinburgh and Aberdeen had the highest proportions at three per cent of their total respective populations.
  • A ‘White: Gypsy / Traveller’ response category was added in 2011. There were 4,200 people who recorded their ethnic group in this category (0.1 per cent of all people in Scotland). The highest figure was in Perth and Kinross (400 people; 0.3 per cent of the total population of that area).
  • In Glasgow City, 12 per cent of the population were from a minority ethnic group, in City of Edinburgh and Aberdeen City it was eight per cent and Dundee City it was six per cent. These areas also saw the largest increases since 2001 in the proportion of their populations who are from minority ethnic groups.

Country of birth

  • Ninety-three per cent of the people in Scotland stated they were born within the UK, a decrease of three percentage points since 2001. Eighty-three per cent of the population were born in Scotland, nine per cent in England, 0.7 per cent in Northern Ireland and 0.3 per cent in Wales.
  • Of the seven per cent (369,000) people in Scotland who were not born in the UK, 15 per cent (55,000) were born in Poland, and six per cent (23,000) were born in each of India and the Republic of Ireland.
  • Every council area in Scotland saw an increase between 2001 and 2011 in the proportion of the population who were born outside the UK

Age and year of arrival in the UK

  • Over two-thirds (69 per cent) of people living in Scotland who were born abroad were of working age (16-64 years old) when they arrived in the UK.
  • Over half (55 per cent) of people living in Scotland who were born abroad arrived between 2004 and March 2011. 

National identity

  • Eighty-three per cent of the population of Scotland felt they had some Scottish national identity.
  • Sixty-two per cent of people felt Scottish only, 18 per cent felt both Scottish and British and two per cent felt they were Scottish in combination with some other identity.
  • Eight per cent of people felt they only had a British national identity only, two per cent felt English only and two per cent felt they had some other combination of UK identities (excluding Scottish).
  • The remaining four per cent felt they did not have any UK national identity.

English language proficiency

  • Over one per cent (1.4 per cent or 73,000) of people aged 3 and over in Scotland were reported as being unable to speak English well or at all.

Gaelic language

  • Just over one per cent (1.1 per cent or 58,000 people) of the population aged 3 and over in Scotland were able to speak Gaelic, a slight fall from 1.2 per cent (59,000) in 2001.
  • There were decreases in the proportion of people able to speak Gaelic in all age groups apart from those aged under 20 years which showed a 0.1 percentage point increase.

Language used at home

  • Ninety-three per cent of people aged 3 and over in Scotland reported that they used only English at home.
  • One per cent (54,000) of people aged 3 and over used Polish at home.
  • 0.2 per cent (13,000) of people reported using British Sign Language at home.

Religion

  • Over half (54 per cent) of the population of Scotland stated their religion as Christian - a decrease of 11 percentage points since 2001- whilst 37 per cent of people stated that they had no religion - an increase of nine percentage points since 2001.
  • In terms of  the Christian denominations, 32 per cent of the population (1.7 million) stated they belonged to the Church of Scotland - a decrease of 10 percentage points since 2001 - whilst the proportion of people who stated they were Roman Catholic remained the same as in 2001 at 16 per cent (0.8 million).
  • Over one per cent (1.4 per cent or 77,000 people) reported that they were Muslim - an increase of 0.6 percentage points since 2001.
  • The numbers of Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs together accounted for 0.7 per cent of the population in 2011 and all saw increases between 2001 and 2011.
  • The number of Jewish people has declined slightly to just under 6,000.

Health and long term limiting illness

  • The majority (82 per cent) of the population stated their health was good or very good.
  • The proportion of people in Scotland who reported a long-term activity-limiting health problem or disability was 20 per cent, the same proportion as reported in 2001.

 Carers

  • The proportion of people providing unpaid care to family members or friends has remained at 9 per cent since 2001.
  • There was an increase in the number of hours of care which these unpaid caregivers carry out per week, with 44 per cent (219,000) of them providing 20 or more hours of care a week, compared with 37 per cent (176,000) in 2001.

Tenure

  • Compared with 2001, the proportion of households who own their accommodation has stayed fairly constant at around 62 per cent, though 28 per cent now own their property outright, compared to 23 per cent in 2001.
  • The proportion of households renting their accommodation from a council or housing association decreased by five percentage points since 2001 to 24 per cent.
  • The private rented sector (including living rent free) increased by six percentage points since 2001 to 14 per cent (150,000) of all households.

Car and van availability

  • Sixty-nine per cent of households in Scotland had at least one car or van available for use in 2011 compared with 66 per cent in 2001.
  • The availability of a car or van varies across the country with 86 per cent of households in Aberdeenshire having at least one car or van available compared to 49 per cent in Glasgow City.

 Communal establishments

  • Just under two per cent (99,000) of people in Scotland lived in a communal establishment on census day in 2011.
  • Of these people, 38 per cent (38,000) were in education establishments, 37 per cent (36,000) were in care homes and a further 6 per cent (6,000) were in other medical and care establishments.

Commenting on the results, Registrar General for Scotland and Chief Executive of  National Records of Scotland, Tim Ellis said

“The census results have already shown that Scotland’s population has grown over the past decade. These latest results paint a detailed picture of Scottish society and it’s a more multi-cultural picture than we have seen before. There is more ethnic and religious diversity. We have more people living in all areas of Scotland who were born outside of the UK than ever before and we are using an increasing number of languages.

The data released today will help us all plan for the future of Scotland using accurate information showing who we are and how we live. Further layers of vital information will be revealed as we publish more detailed data for very local levels over the coming months.”

The full publication, ‘2011 Census: Key Results on Population, Ethnicity, Identity, Language, Religion, Health, Housing and Accommodation in Scotland - Release 2A’ and relevant data can be found on the Scotland's Census website.



Footnote

(1) Adults refers to those aged 16 years and over.

(2) Minority ethnic groups do not include Gypsies / Travellers, as there was a separate tick        box under the ‘White category’ for this ethnic group in 2011.

 
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Births, Deaths and Other Vital Events - Second Quarter 2013

Thursday, 12 Sep 2013
Births, Deaths and Other Vital Events - Second Quarter 2013

Provisional figures for births, deaths and other vital events registered during the second quarter of 2013 are published today by the National Records of Scotland.

The statistics show that 13,910 births were registered in Scotland between 1 April and 30 June 2013 – 435 (3.0 per cent) fewer than in the same period of 2012. This is the fifth successive decrease in the second quarter total, from a peak (for recent years) of 14,875 in 2008.

The provisional figures also show that:

  • The number of marriages fell by 11.4 per cent to 8,113, which was 1,046 fewer than the unusually high figure for the second quarter of 2012.
  • There were 141 civil partnerships (63 male and 78 female), 3 more than during the second quarter of 2012.
  • 13,734 deaths were registered in the second quarter of the year – 34 (0.2 per cent) more than in the same period of 2012.
  • Deaths from cancer fell by 0.5 per cent to 3,964, deaths from coronary heart disease fell by 2.6 per cent to 1,829, and there were 1,132 deaths from stroke (a rise of 2.1 per cent).

Tim Ellis, the Chief Executive of the National Records of Scotland, said:

"Today's statistics show a fall in the number of births registered in Scotland, continuing the trend of gradual decline since 2008, while the number of deaths rose very slightly, to the highest second quarter total since 2006. However, levels of both births and deaths continue to be relatively small in historical terms.

"The 11 per cent fall in the number of marriages seems relatively large, but last year's second quarter total of 9,159 was unusually high - it was the highest second quarter figure since 1993."

A chart on the NRS website shows how the total numbers of birth, marriages and deaths registered in successive periods of four quarters have varied since 1974 (which is the first year for which there are records of individual vital events in NRS's statistical database) - both the longer-term trends, and the short-term fluctuations in the some of the numbers.

The full publication, Births, deaths and other vital events - quarterly figures, is available on the NRS website.

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More marriages in Scotland

Tuesday, 27 Aug 2013
More marriages in Scotland

Final figures for births, deaths and other vital events registered in 2012

There were 30,534 marriages in Scotland last year, an increase of 4.8 per cent on the figure for 2011, the third consecutive annual increase. In addition, in 2012:

  • 58,027 births were registered – 563 (1.0 per cent) fewer than in 2011.
  • 54,937 deaths were registered – 1,276 (2.4 per cent) more than in 2011.
  • Deaths from cancer rose by 2.6 per cent to 15,864, deaths from ischaemic (coronary) heart disease fell by 1.2 per cent to 7,541, and there were 4,475 deaths from cerebrovascular disease (stroke), a drop of 2.6 per cent.
  • Alcohol-related deaths fell by 13 per cent to 1,080; there were 581 drug-related deaths, three fewer than in 2011; the estimated number of probable suicides fell; and deaths for which clostridium difficile was the underlying cause dropped from 70 to 60.

These are among the many figures for 2012 produced from registration records and published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).

Commenting, Tim Ellis, Registrar General and Chief Executive of NRS, said:

"In recent years, there have been more births than deaths in Scotland. This was still the case in 2012, but the gap has narrowed again, with a slight decline in the number of births and a slight increase in the number of deaths.

"Despite its decline over the last four years, the birth rate in 2012 remained high relative to the first half of the 2000s. In historical terms, however, these figures are low compared to previous ‘baby boom’ years - for example, averages of over 100,000 per year in the early 1960s and 110,000 in the early 1920s.

"Although deaths rose in 2012, they are not high in historical terms. From the mid-1940s to the mid-1990s, there tended to be between 60,000 and 65,000 deaths per year, and larger numbers before then. There is usually some year-to-year fluctuation. Scotland recorded its lowest-ever annual total (53,661) in 2011, so an increase in the number registered in 2012 was not unexpected.

“In historic terms, the number of marriages in 2012 was relatively low, compared with averages of over 40,000 marriages per year in the early 1960s."

Key points in the figures published today

Births

There were 58,027 births registered in Scotland in 2012, 563 (1.0 per cent) fewer than in 2011. This is the fourth year that the number of births has fallen (following increases in each of the previous six years).

The average age of mothers has increased from 27.7 in 1992 to 29.7 in 2012. Similarly, the average age of fathers has increased from 30.3 in 1992 to 32.5 in 2012.

In 2012, 51.3 per cent of babies were born to unmarried couples, the highest percentage ever recorded. This figure has risen in most years since the start of the 1970s, and exceeded 10 per cent in 1979, 20 per cent in 1986, 30 per cent in 1992, 40 per cent in 1999 and 50 per cent in 2008.

Some 85 per cent of mothers who gave birth in Scotland in 2012 were born in the UK, including 76 per cent born in Scotland. Seven per cent of mothers had been born elsewhere in the European Union (EU), including four per cent from the countries which joined the EU in 2004 (such as Poland).

Marriages and civil partnerships

There were 30,534 marriages in Scotland in 2012, 1,399 (4.8 per cent) more than in 2011. This was the third consecutive annual increase in the number of marriages, which reached its highest level since 2005.

The average age at which people marry for the first time has increased by around two years in the last 10 years, to 32.9 years for men and 31.0 years for women.

Just over half of all marriages (51 per cent) were civil ceremonies, carried out by a registrar – compared with just under one-third (31 per cent) in 1971.

The largest number of religious marriages were carried out by Church of Scotland ministers (5,508, or 18 per cent of all marriages), with clergy from the Roman Catholic Church carrying out 1,827 marriages (6 per cent of the total). Celebrants from the Humanist Society of Scotland, authorised to carry out marriages since 2005, officiated at 3,052 marriages (10 per cent of the total).

In 2012 there were 574 civil partnerships – 257 male couples and 317 female couples - 20 more than during 2011.

Deaths

54,937 deaths were registered in 2012 – 1,276 (2.4 per cent) more than in the previous year. However, despite that rise, it was the fourth lowest number of deaths recorded in over 150 years. The number of deaths registered in 2011 (53,661) was the lowest annual total ever recorded. The total registered in 2012 was lower than the figures for 2008 (which was 55,700) and for many earlier years, going back to before the start of civil registration in 1855.

The main causes of deaths were:

  • cancer, which caused 15,864 deaths, 2.6 per cent more than in 2011, and 5.4 per cent more than in 2002;
  • ischaemic (coronary) heart disease, which caused 7,541 deaths, 1.2 per cent fewer than in 2011 and 36 per cent fewer than in 2002;
  • respiratory system diseases (such as pneumonia), which caused 7,168 deaths, 5.6 per cent more than in 2011 and 5.3 per cent more than in 2002; and
  • cerebrovascular disease (stroke), which caused 4,475 deaths, 2.6 per cent fewer than in 2011 and 33 per cent fewer than in 2002.

Over the longer-term, the percentage of deaths caused by ischaemic (coronary) heart disease dropped from 29 per cent in 1980-1982 to 14 per cent in 2012, and the percentage due to cerebrovascular disease (stroke) fell from 14 per cent to eight percent. The percentage of deaths caused by cancer rose from 22 per cent to 29 per cent.

The number of alcohol-related deaths fell by 167 (13 per cent) to 1,080 in 2012, the lowest annual total since 1997. The figure of 1,546 in 2006 was the largest so far recorded: since then, the trend appears to have been downward, with some year-to-year fluctuations.

There were 581 drug-related deaths in 2012, three (0.5 per cent) fewer than in 2011. This was the second highest number ever recorded, and 199 (52 per cent) more than in 2002. So far, the long-term trend has been upward, although it could be argued that the annual number of deaths might be levelling off.

At the start of 2011, the statistical definition of probable suicides changed. In 2012, the estimated number fell, by 1 per cent to 762 (on the old basis) or by 7 per cent to 830 (on the new basis). Earlier years' data show that the estimated number of probable suicides may fluctuate from year to year, with the impression of a slight downward trend from almost 900 (on the old basis) at the start of the new century.

In 2012, there were 60 deaths for which clostridium difficile was the underlying cause, 10 fewer than in 2011. Including deaths for which clostridium difficile was a contributory factor, there was a total of 158 deaths for which clostridium difficile was mentioned on the death certificate, 11 fewer than in 2011. The Vital Events Reference Tables can be viewed in full on the NRS website.

Statistics and commentary on deaths from particular causes (accidental deaths, alcohol-related deaths, Clostridium Difficile deaths, drug-related deaths, hypothermia deaths, MRSA deaths and probable suicides) and on age-standardised death rates are available via links which can be found on the Vital Events - Deaths page on the NRS website.

Further information on the Time-Series Tables are available on the NRS website:

Births

Marriages

Civil Partnerships

Deaths

 

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Scotland’s Population at its Highest Ever

Thursday, 8 Aug 2013
Scotland’s Population at its Highest Ever

Scotland’s population continues to rise and reached its highest ever total in 2012.

Statistics published today by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) show that the estimated population of Scotland was 5,313,600 in mid-2012, the highest ever.

The figures, based on 2011 Census data, show a rise of 18,200 people since Census Day on 27 March 2011.

Commenting on the publication of ‘Mid-2011 and Mid-2012 Population Estimates Scotland’, NRS Chief Executive Tim Ellis said:

“Scotland’s population has continued to grow, reaching its highest ever level last year. The increase from the Census in 2011 to end June 2012 was 18,200.

“The rise was because there were over 6,000 more births than deaths and a net in-flow of 15,200 more people coming to Scotland than leaving.

“Most of this net migration increase is from people coming to Scotland from overseas rather than from the rest of the UK. Overall however fewer people came to Scotland from overseas and more people left to go overseas in the year to mid-2012, than in the previous year.”

Main findings

  • The estimated population of Scotland on 30 June 2012 was 5,313,600, an increase of 13,700 from the previous year and of 18,200 from Census Day on 27 March 2011.
  • There were 2,577,140 males and 2,736,460 females. The number of both males and females was the highest ever.
  • The population increased because 6,000 more people were born than died, and because immigration exceeded emigration by 15,200 between Census Day and 30 June 2012. Other minor changes, such as in armed forces, resulted in a loss of 3,000 people.
  • The net migration gain of 15,200 people includes net gains of 14,300 people from overseas and 900 people from the rest of the UK. Between Census Day and mid-2012, 43,400 people came to Scotland from overseas and 29,100 left Scotland to go overseas. The net migration gain of 14,300 represents about 1 in 300 (0.3 per cent) of the total population. Fewer people came to Scotland from overseas and more people left to go overseas in the year to mid-2012 compared with the previous full year, a net gain of 9,700 compared with 25,400.
  • Between Census Day and mid-2012, 55,600 people came to Scotland from England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 54,700 left Scotland to go in the opposite direction. The net gain of 900 from the rest of the UK in the 15 month period was lower than recent annual figures due to the timing of students leaving Scotland at the end of their courses between Census Day and mid-year 2011. There has not been much change in the net gain to Scotland from the rest of the UK in the last two full year periods at 2,900 and 3,000 respectively.
  • Among Council areas, between Census Day and mid-2012, the City of Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian each had the largest percentage population increase at +1.2 per cent, followed by Aberdeenshire (+1.1 per cent) and Aberdeen City (+1.0 per cent). Argyll & Bute had the largest percentage population decrease at -2.2 per cent, followed by Inverclyde (-1.0 per cent) and Moray (-0.6 per cent).
  • Among NHS Board areas, Lothian had the largest percentage population increase (+1.0 per cent), followed by Orkney (+0.9 per cent) and Grampian (+0.8 per cent). Several NHS Boards experienced a fall in population with Western Isles and Highland having the largest decrease at -0.4 per cent, followed by Dumfries & Galloway (-0.3 per cent), Borders (-0.1 per cent) and Ayrshire & Arran (-0.1 per cent).
  • The median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) of the population in Scotland was 41.
  • The median age was lower in big city areas (36 in Aberdeen City, Glasgow City and the City of Edinburgh) than in more rural areas (47 in Argyll & Bute and 46 in Dumfries & Galloway, Eilean Siar and Scottish Borders).
  • On average, in mid-2012, there were 68 people per square kilometre in Scotland, ranging from 9 people per square kilometre in Eilean Siar and Highland to 3,407 people per square kilometre in Glasgow City Council area. The average population density of the UK at mid-2012 was 263 people per square kilometre.

The full publication, Mid-2011 and Mid-2012 Population Estimates Scotland, is available on this website.

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Census 2011: Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C

Tuesday, 23 Jul 2013
Census 2011: Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C

The first set of unrounded figures from the 2011 Census in Scotland have been released today. The release covers the population and household figures first published on 17 December 2012 (with more detail presented on 21 March 2013) - Census 2011: Population and Household Estimates for Scotland - which were rounded. The figures released today contain the additional details of single year of age by sex, published at both national and local authority level.

A second part of Release 1C will be published on 15th August 2013. This part will contain the geographic shape files for 2011 Census Output Areas as well as household and population estimates by sex for both output areas and postcodes.

The full publication, 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland - Release 1C and relevant data can be found on the Scotland's Census website.

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NRS Records Management Plan Agreed

Monday, 15 Jul 2013
NRS Records Management Plan Agreed

National Records of Scotland has become the first public authority to have its records management plan (RMP) agreed by the Keeper of the Records of Scotland.

The Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011 requires a named authority to prepare and implement a records management plan which sets out proper arrangements for the management of its records. The Keeper of the Records of Scotland and the Registrar General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for Scotland are named separately in the schedule of the Act. However, as both offices are currently held by Tim Ellis, the Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland, a joint RMP was submitted.

The RMP was assessed by the Public Records (Scotland) Act Assessment Team on behalf of the Keeper. They found that all elements of the RMP have been properly considered and that the relevant policies and governance structures are in place to implement the actions required by the plan.

The Assessment Team found that some elements do require development and therefore Element 10, Business Continuity, and Element 11, Audit Trail, have been agreed on 'improvement model' terms. NRS is currently well advanced in a project to establish a business continuity management system, which will help manage risk and embed a strategy to ensure business continuity. We also acknowledge that we need to improve the way in which we create and manage electronic records. NRS is fully committed to identifying and implementing an electronic records management system which will enable us to manage all of our corporate records using our new business classification scheme and retention and disposal schedule, with audit trail information accurately captured.

You can read the Keeper's assessment report in full on the Public Records (Scotland) Act section of our website. At the recommendation of the Keeper, NRS is also publishing the agreed RMP, along with the majority of the supporting evidence, as an example of good practice within the authority and the sector.

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