Births in Scotland fall for 12th year to record low
- Published
Emma Allan and Cameron Cunningham had Scotland's first baby of 2020
The number of children born in Scotland has fallen for the 12th year running, to the lowest level since records began.
National Records of Scotland (NRS) figures, external revealed 46,809 births were registered in 2020, down 3,054 on the previous year.
There were also more deaths than births registered for the sixth year in a row.
The number of deaths rose to 64,093 - the highest level of excess deaths since 1940.
Julie Ramsay, NRS vital events statistician, said: "With over 64,000 deaths, which is 10% higher than in 2019, the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Scotland are clear.
"There were only 46,809 births in 2020, which is the lowest number since records began in 1855."
The birth rate has been falling since the early 1960s, when there was more than 100,000 births per year.
Marriage restrictions
The previous low point was 51,270 in 2002, which was followed by a recent high of 60,041 in 2008. Births have decreased steadily since then.
NRS figures also showed there were 11,831 marriages in 2020 compared to 26,007 in 2019, following restrictions on marriage ceremonies during the pandemic. Of these, 289 were same sex marriages.
There were 72 civil partnerships registered, 33 involving male couples and 39 involving female couples.
There were 198 stillbirths in 2020, a slight increase on last year's rate but low in historical terms.
The lowest infant death rate ever was also recorded in 2020, with 146 infant deaths.