Scotland recorded 1,152 alcohol-specific deaths in 2025, according to the latest figures published by National Records of Scotland on 27 October 2026. While deaths fell by 3% compared with 2024, the figures highlight the continued scale of alcohol harm and persistent health inequalities across Scotland.
The reduction represents just 33 fewer deaths than the previous year. While any decrease is welcome, the loss of 1,152 lives in a single year is a stark reminder that far more action is needed to prevent alcohol-related harm.
The figures also highlight a worrying rise in deaths among women and a widening gap between Scotland’s most and least deprived communities. Alcohol-specific death rates in the most deprived areas are now 4.8 times higher than in the least deprived areas, increasing from 2024.
Furthermore, alcohol-specific deaths represent only part of the picture. Deaths from alcohol-related cancers, heart disease, accidents and other causes are not included in these figures, meaning the full toll of alcohol harm is considerably broader.
SACC believes alcohol harm remains a public health emergency that demands urgent, sustained action and meaningful investment. We continue to call for:
A standalone national alcohol strategy
Investment in prevention, treatment and support services, including specialist alcohol counselling, based on Fair Funding principles
Action to tackle the health inequalities driving alcohol harm
Tighter controls on alcohol marketing and advertising
Reduced alcohol availability
Lesley Ross, Chair of SACC, said:
“While any reduction in alcohol-specific deaths is welcome, 1,152 people losing their lives in a single year is a devastating reminder of the scale of alcohol harm in Scotland.
These deaths are not inevitable. We need urgent, sustained action from the Scottish Government, backed by the resources to make a real difference.
Scotland cannot afford to accept this level of loss as normal. We need meaningful action now to prevent harm and save lives.”
Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community. A small reduction in deaths cannot obscure the scale of the challenge facing Scotland. Meaningful progress requires a sustained commitment to prevention, accessible support and properly funded services that help people affected by alcohol harm.
SACC is calling for action now to prevent further loss of life and ensure that specialist alcohol services have the funding and support they need to make a difference.