The incidences of cleft lip ± cleft palate without other defects and cleft lip ± cleft palate with other defects in Budapest between 1962 and 1967 were 1.03 and 0.14 per 1,000 total births, respectively. The incidences of posterior cleft palate without other defects and cleft palate with other defects were 0.27 and 0.11%₀. The more important epidemiologic characteristics of cleft lip ± cleft palate group without other defects are the following: a significantly more frequent localization of cleft lips on the left side, an excess in males, a monthly peak in March, a shift toward smaller weight groups, an increased frequency of mothers above 35 years and fathers above 40 years as well as of 4th and later birth orders. On the contrary, cleft lip ± cleft palate with other defects occurs with the same frequency in both sexes and in all 3 localizations, with higher frequency in first births and results in more severe outcomes. The cleft palate group without other defects shows a female preponderance and 29.9% of these cases are under 2,500 g. A lack of female preponderance, more severe outcome and a higher frequency in first births are characteristic for cleft palate with other defects. Cleft lip ± cleft palate and cleft palate with other defects may be components of a number of syndromes, while both the cleft lip ± cleft palate without other defects and perhaps the posterior cleft palate without other defects may be a nosological entity.