The Registry-General has reported that 622 residents died in Bermuda in 2023.

Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, who shared findings from the Registrar’s 2023 annual report in the House of Assembly today, said this represented a death rate of 9.8 for every 1,000 people on the island.

Figures, complied with help from medical practitioners, funeral directors and the Coroner’s Office, showed a 6.3 per cent increase from 585 resident deaths in 2022.

The minister added: “The report also indicates that there were 12 deaths in respect of non-resident people, which brings the total number of deaths recorded for 2023 to 634.

“Also, there was one stillbirth recorded for the 2023 period.”

The office recorded 436 births in 2023, 43 fewer than in 2022.

Of those 436, 75.7 per cent had at least one Bermudian parent and none were born at home, compared with two in 2022.

Mr Hayward said figures were “not indicative of actual population levels”, as migration data was not available.

He explained: “The next opportunity of an accurate population count will be the 2026 Census.”

He said census benchmark data would allow for immigration and emigration tracking, to keep numbers more accurate.

The report also recorded five domestic partnership unions and 310 local marriages in 2023.

The number of marriages, which do not include same-sex couples, was down 7.7 per cent compared with 2022.

There were 329 marriages performed on 28 Bermudian-registered ships in 2023, 52 more than took place in 2022.

The 1949 Registration (Births and Deaths Act) states that the Registrar-General should compile a summary on births and deaths, as well as a rise or fall in Bermuda’s population, no later than 90 days after the end of each calendar year.

Mr Hayward said circumstances including “human resources and the need to clarify data” contributed to the report’s late delivery, but that waiting for 20 per cent of outstanding statistics would have held up the entire process.

Asked by Opposition leader Jarion Richardson how reports could be delivered sooner, Mr Hayward explained: “Not all of [the responsibility] is on the shoulders of the employees within the Registry-General’s department, but we will ensure to seek that we will be more proactive in our data collection so that we have timely reports in accordance to the legislation.”

He added that the 2024 Registry-General report was being compiled to be delivered in the second quarter of this fiscal year.

• To see the minister’s statement in full, seeRelated Media

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Jason Hayward Registry Report 2023.pdf