Four homeless deaths in Scotland a week, data suggests

An estimated 231 people died while experiencing homelessness in Scotland in 2024, new figures suggest.

According to data published by the National Records of Scotland (NRS), the number of people who died while in temporary accommodation or sleeping rough in 2024 was a slight decrease on the previous year's figures but "not statistically significant".

The estimated number of homeless deaths has been falling annually since 2020 but the latest figures are 41% higher than when records began in 2017.

The NRS said the deaths were mostly due to external causes such as drugs, accidents, suicide and assaults.

The figures show there were an estimated 55 homeless deaths per million people aged 15 to 74 in Scotland in 2024, however the rate of homeless deaths varies widely across the country.

The death rate was highest in City of Edinburgh which had 95.4 deaths per million people in 2024, followed by Glasgow City with 85.4. Orkney Islands, Moray and East Renfrewshire had no identified homeless deaths in 2024.

A further breakdown of the figures show more than three quarters (78%) of the deaths in 2024 involved men and 22% women, and around half of those who died were under 45 years old. The most common age group for men and women was between 35 and 44.

The most common cause of death in 2024 was from external causes which includes most drug misuse deaths, accidents, suicides, and assaults - this represents 47% of homeless deaths.

The NRS said its methodology produced conservative estimates so the actual number of homeless deaths could be higher.

Phillipa Haxton, head of vital events statistics, said: "We estimate 231 people died while they were in temporary accommodation or sleeping rough in 2024.

"This is similar to the estimate of 242 for the year before and not a statistically significant fall. It's also about 40% higher than 2017, when these figures were first calculated.

"Deaths of people going through homelessness occur at younger ages than those in the population generally.

"They are also more likely to be from external causes which includes drug related deaths, accidents, suicide and assaults."

She said "external causes" account for about 10% of deaths from ages 15 to 74, but it applied to about half of people who were homeless when they died.

The NRS notes that homeless deaths in other parts of the UK are not comparable with those for Scotland.

Maeve McGoldrick, head of policy and communications at Crisis Scotland, urged all political parties to commit to ending homelessness by 2040 in their upcoming manifestos for the Holyrood elections in May.

She said: "This means building more truly affordable homes in the places that need them the most, giving wraparound help to people much earlier on, ideally before they become homeless, and being more strategic and impactful with how money is spent – making sure that it reduces homelessness across Scotland.

"These deaths are not inevitable. We know how to end homelessness for good – we just need the political will to make this happen."

Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan said the government would "be introducing gold-standard homelessness prevention measures, to ensure people get help before they reach crisis point".

She added: "A safe, warm and affordable home is key to a life of health and dignity.

"In the 2026-27 Budget, we have committed a record investment of £4.9bn over the next four years, which will deliver 36,000 homes."