The number of births registered in Scotland during the third quarter of 2007 was 5.3 per cent higher than during the same period of 2006.

This not only continues the recent gradual increase in the birth rate, but is in fact the highest in the third quarter for 10 years.

Registrar General for Scotland Duncan Macniven said: "Almost 15,000 births were registered in July, August and September, continuing the recent gradual increase in the birth rate. Though we should not make too much of a single quarter, there were around 750 more births in the third quarter of this year than last year – and, over the first nine months of 2007, there were more births than we have seen since 1997."

The Registrar General was speaking as he published provisional figures for births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships registered during the third quarter of 2007.

Other comparisons with the third quarter of 2006 showed that marriages were up, but there were fewer civil partnerships.

There were about 60 fewer deaths - deaths from cancer rose by 5.1 per cent but deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke fell by 4.0 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively.

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