Scotland's alcohol deaths fall but inequality gap widens

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 13:02 · Archive

Scotland recorded 1,152 alcohol-specific deaths in 2025, down 3 per cent, but the mortality gap between poorest and richest widened.

Scotland's alcohol-specific deaths fell by 3 per cent to 1,152 in 2025, according to figures released by National Records of Scotland on Tuesday. The drop of 33 deaths from the previous year was driven by a fall of 43 deaths in men, offset by an increase of 10 female deaths.

The inequality gap widened considerably. Those living in the least affluent areas had a death rate of 40.2 per 100,000, compared to 8.3 for the most well-off, a gap of 31.9 compared to 31.2 the previous year. Deaths were higher than the national average in Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire, Dundee and Renfrewshire.

Dr Maria Casserly, chair of the addictions faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, called the reduction 'positive' but warned against complacency. 'Alcohol-related harm remains one of Scotland's most pressing public health challenges. Scotland continues to have some of the highest rates of alcohol-specific deaths in the UK,' she said. Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour health spokeswoman, described the inequality as 'shameful' and called for investment in alcohol and substance misuse recovery services.

How it is being reported

• Homicides in Scotland rise from record lowThe number of people who were killed in Scotland last year was almost a fifth higher than the record low of the previous year.BBC Scotland · 27 Oct, 13:30
• Poorest Scots 5 times more likely die from alcohol than the richest as health inequality gap widensDeaths from alcohol were higher than the national average in Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire, Dundee and Renfrewshire.Daily Record · 27 Oct, 12:34
• Scotland’s alcohol deaths fall but gap between richest and poorest growsTHE total number of alcohol deaths in Scotland has dropped by 3 per cent, new figures show, but the gap between the richest and poorest has increasedThe National · 27 Oct, 11:50

In this story: Scotland · National Records of Scotland · Glasgow · Inverclyde · North Lanarkshire · West Dunbartonshire · Dundee · Renfrewshire

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