MACAO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The resident population of Macao reached 531,000 at the end of September, up 25,000 on the same period of 2006, according to official statistics issued Saturday.

The government-run Statistics and Census Service (SCS) showed that 1,200 live births were registered in the third quarter, up 20.8 percent over the second quarter.

The number of mortality cases stood at 346 at the end of the third quarter and the major causes of death were "Malignant neoplasm," the figures showed.

The city logged 505 marriages in the third quarter, down 4.7 percent over the second quarter of 2007, according to the statistics.