Smoking death rate almost five times higher in Scotland’s poorest areas

The number of deaths attributed to smoking has fallen, new figures have shown, but the rate for such deaths is now nearly five times higher in the poorest parts of Scotland compared to the richest.

Smoking accounted for an estimated 7,086 deaths in Scotland in 2024, with this down from 7,276 the previous year and 39% lower than the total of 8,929 from 2008.

Public Health Scotland figures revealed an estimated 204 deaths per 100,000 of the population were attributed to smoking in 2024, with this down 39% from 2008 when the rate was 334 per 100,000.

However, the latest figures showed the rate was 4.7 times higher in the most-deprived areas compared with the least-deprived areas.

That gap has widened, with the 2008 data showing the death rate was 3.2 times higher in the poorest areas when compared with the least-deprived parts of the country.

In 2024, there were an estimated 647 deaths attributable to smoking in the most affluent communities, with a death rate of 87 per 100,000.

But in the most deprived areas, there were an estimated 2,336 deaths that were attributable to smoking, with a rate of 412 deaths per 100,000 people.

The figures also showed that between 2008 and 2024, rates for smoking-attributable deaths in the least-deprived areas fell by 51%, but in the most-deprived communities, the reduction was 27%.

The data also revealed a fall in hospital admissions attributable to smoking, with the rate for these 36% lower than it was in 2008.

In 2024, there were an estimated 38,675 smoking‑attributable hospital admissions, with a rate of 1,107 admissions per 100,000 population.

However, the admissions rate was 4.4 times higher in the most deprived areas than it was in the least deprived areas, with this up from 3.4 in 2008.

The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.