Infant death rate one of the highest on record at end of 2024, data shows

The infant death rate in Scotland in the last quarter of 2024 was one of the highest since records began 10 years ago, data shows.

Figures published by the National Records of Scotland (NTS) on Tuesday show there were 16,052 deaths recorded in total between October 1 and December 31 2024, which was 10% lower than had been expected.

The expected number, adjusted for Scotland’s growing and aging population, was 17,844.

The infant death rate – fatalities within the first year of life – was 4.4 per 1,000 live births, with 50 deaths recorded over the quarter.

Phillipa Haxton, head of vital events statistics at NRS, said: “The number of deaths was 10% lower than our expected number for this time of year.

“Across all broad age groups, deaths were below expected levels for the last quarter of 2024.

“However, the infant death rate was 4.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.

“This is the joint second highest quarterly infant death rate since the time series began in 2014.

“For all ages, female deaths were 829, or 9.3%, lower than the expected number in quarter four, and male deaths were 962, or 10.8% lower than expected.”

The provisional figures also show 11,412 births were registered in the fourth quarter last year, which was 4.9% lower than the previous fourth quarter average of 11,994.

The same period of last year also saw 6,206 marriages registered, 1.4% more than the average for the time of year.

Out of these, 256 were same-sex marriages, compared with a five-year average of 236.