Overview

• National Records of Scotland recorded 1,185 alcohol-specific deaths in 2024, down 92 from 2023 and the lowest total since 2019.
• The mortality rate declined to 20.9 per 100,000 from 22.5, yet Scotland still has the highest alcohol-specific death rate in the UK.
• People living in the most deprived areas were about 4.5 times more likely to die from alcohol than those in the least deprived communities.
• Men accounted for roughly two-thirds of deaths, with male rates more than double those of women at 29.6 versus 13.1 per 100,000.
• Glasgow recorded the highest local rate at 32.9 per 100,000, as ministers highlighted minimum unit pricing and funding, while charities warned official figures understate wider alcohol-related harms.