Fewer abortions were performed, and the teen birth rate rose in South Dakota in 2007, according to the state's annual vital statistics report, released Tuesday from the Department of Health.

There were 707 abortions performed here in 2007, compared to 748 the year before. Of those, 609 abortions were for South Dakota women. The rest were for women from Minnesota, Iowa and other states.

Of the women who had abortions in South Dakota, 80.3 percent were white, 8.2 percent Native American, 6.5 percent black and 5 percent Asian.

The number of abortions has been declining for years in the state and country.

The state also experienced an increased birth rate, both overall and to teen mothers.

The teen birth rate was 18.0 per 1,000 teen girls in 2007, an increase from the rate of 17.2 per 1,000 in 2006.

A total of 343 babies were born to girls ages 17 and younger. Slightly more than 50 percent of those mothers were Native American.

The youngest mother was 13, and the youngest father was 14.

The overall birth rate was 16.2 percent per 1,000 population, up from 15.8. Last year, there were 12,253 births in South Dakota, compared to 11,914 the year before. Of all the mothers, 78 percent were white, and 18.6 percent were Native American.

The oldest mother was 48, and the oldest father was 66.

The annual vital statistics report provides detailed statewide information about births, infant mortality, mortality overall, induced abortion, marriage and divorce, and communicable disease, as well as health status and health resource information on the county level.

Other highlights from the report:

* There were 6,800 deaths in South Dakota in 2007, for a "crude death rate" of 900.8 per 100,000 population, the lowest that rate has been since 1961. Crude death rates have not been age-adjusted to account for differences in the population.

* There were 79 infant deaths in 2007, for a rate of 6.45 per 1,000 births, a drop from 82 infant deaths in 2006.

* Motor vehicle accident deaths decreased from 186 in 2006 to 145 in 2007.

* Cancer was the leading cause of deaths for whites, as well as for males, for the first time in the past 10 years, with 1,534 total deaths (24.6 percent) for whites and 856 total deaths (25 percent) for males.

* There were 6,138 marriages in South Dakota in 2007, the fewest since 1960. The oldest groom was 87, and the oldest bride 84. The youngest groom was 17, and the youngest bride 16.

* Divorces decreased to 2,438 from 2,465 in 2006. The longest marriage to end in divorce had lasted 56 years.

The 2007 and 2006 reports are available at doh.sd.gov/Statistics under the vital statistics section.