The total number of alcohol deaths in Scotland has dropped by 3%, new figures have shown.
Figures released by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) on Tuesday showed 1,152 alcohol specific deaths were recorded in 2025, down from 1,185 the previous year.
However, the gap between the richest and poorest increased, with the rate of death for those living in the least affluent areas sitting at 40.2 per 100,000, compared to just 8.3 in the most affluent.
The previous year, 40 people per 100,000 in the most deprived areas died, compared to 8.3 in the richest, a gap of 31.2.
The decrease was driven by a drop of 43 deaths in men, despite an increase of ten female deaths in 2025.
Alcohol-specific death rates in the most deprived communities have fallen over time but remain 4.8 times higher than in the least deprived areas.
For all cases of death, the most deprived areas have a rate twice as high as the least deprived.
The rate of alcohol-specific deaths was higher than the Scottish average in Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire, Dundee City and Renfrewshire, measured over a five-year period from 2021 to 2025.
Scotland and Northern Ireland continued to have the highest rates of alcohol-specific deaths in the UK in 2024, the latest year for which data is available across the UK.
Head of vital events statistics for NRS, Phillipa Haxton, said: “The number of deaths this year is the lowest from 2020 onwards and well below the peak of 2006.
“However, the rate of deaths is around 1.7 times as high as in 1994, when records for this series began.
“The age profile of alcohol-specific deaths has grown older over time. The rate of deaths continues to be highest among people aged 45 to 64 and 65 to 74, but the average age at death has increased from 54 to 60 years since 1979.
“This remains low compared to all causes of death, where the average age of death was 77 in 2025.”
Speaking during a visit to a hospital in Fife, alcohol and drugs minister Maree Todd expressed her condolences to those who lost a loved one and admitted the Government “must do more” as she announced plans to embed “alcohol care teams” in hospitals.
“My heartfelt condolences go to all those who have lost a loved one through alcohol.
“Despite this small decrease, the number of deaths remains far too high and we must continue to do all we can to reduce them. The Scottish Government and its partners are making progress in tackling alcohol harms, but we must do more.
“That’s why we are providing record levels of funding of over £160m this year for alcohol and drugs programmes, widening access to treatment and residential services, and improving pathways through detox, crisis care and stabilisation.
“We want everyone who needs help to have access to high-quality, joined-up support and our long-term joint strategic plan puts renewed emphasis on prevention and early intervention, while expanding treatment standards to include alcohol.
“That is why we will shortly publish a new alcohol harm prevention plan.”
She added: “Today I am pleased we are delivering on our Programme for Government commitment to pilot new alcohol care teams in hospitals.
“Backed initially by £164,000 of Scottish Government funding, and £328,000 next year, the Fife pilot will provide intensive support for people beyond hospital and into the community – strengthening links between services and helping us build the evidence needed to improve alcohol care across Scotland.
“If successful, our intention is to roll this out in other communities around the country.
“In addition to treatment and support, we are building on the positive impacts of our Minimum Unit Pricing policy which Public Health Scotland estimated in the years it was evaluated has saved hundreds of lives.”
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