News in Grampian: Births and marriages hit all-time low as Scotland's population rises

A report published today by the National Records of Scotland shows a number of 'firsts' about the country's population.

These include:

• Scotland’s population is at a record high at 5.46 million.

• The lowest number of births were recorded since records began in 1855, with fewer than 50,000 registered.

• The number of marriages registered was also at an all-time low of just over 26,000.

Other key findings show:

• Deaths have outnumbered births for the fifth consecutive year, meaning the recent population increase is due to migration.

• The number of households is growing faster than the population, with one in five people now living alone.
• Life expectancy was improving for decades, but has changed very little in the last five years.

The report also provides an analysis of all deaths involving Covid-19 from March to September, providing a summary of the spread and impact of the virus in Scotland.

Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services said: "Today’s report describes how the number of deaths involving Covid-19 increased sharply in the first six weeks of the pandemic, before falling again, with numbers remaining very low since July.

"More than three quarters of deaths were among those aged 75 and over, and after taking age into account, people were more likely to die with Covid-19 if they were male, if they lived in an urban area, or lived in a deprived area."

See the full report here

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