Topeka ? The Kansas birth rate was up last year, while the death rate was down.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment released its vital statistics for 2007 on Monday. It showed the birth rate was up nearly 3 percent over the previous year. The death rate dropped by three-tenths of a percent for the same period.

The health department said the state averaged 115 live births and 67 deaths each day last year.

It also said the state averaged 52 marriages and 26 divorces each day, an increase in both categories over 2006.

Meanwhile, the state average for abortions dropped to 30 each day.