Scotland recorded fewer births than expected during the first three months of 2026, while the infant mortality rate reached its highest quarterly level in more than a decade, according to new figures.
Statistics published by National Records of Scotland show 11,347 births were registered between January and March, 2.6% below the average for the first quarter of the year.
There were 16,382 deaths recorded during the same period, 6.5% lower than the expected figure of 17,527.
Cancer, respiratory diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias remained the leading causes of death.
The number of deaths involving influenza fell sharply compared with the same period last year. A total of 170 influenza-related deaths were recorded in the first quarter of 2026, down from 439 during the first three months of 2025.
National Records of Scotland 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.”
The report also showed there were 51 infant deaths during the quarter, giving a rate of 4.5 per 1,000 live births.
This was higher than the first-quarter average of 41 deaths and represents the joint highest quarterly infant mortality rate since the final quarter of 2011.
Despite the increase, National Records of Scotland said the long-term trend remains one of declining infant mortality, although rates have risen slightly over the past five years.
There were 37 stillbirths recorded between January and March, equating to 3.3 per 1,000 live and still births. This was the second-lowest first-quarter stillbirth rate recorded in the past decade.
Marriage numbers also increased slightly. A total of 3,310 marriages were registered during the quarter, 2.2% above the first-quarter average of 3,240.
Of those marriages, 122 were same-sex marriages, accounting for 3.7% of all marriages registered during the period.