Deaths and hospitalisations
Alcohol-specific deaths
Alcohol-specific deaths refer to fatalities from conditions entirely caused by alcohol, such as alcohol-related liver disease and alcohol poisoning. Alcohol-related deaths include these but also cover deaths from conditions where alcohol is a contributing factor, such as certain cancers and heart disease.[1]
- There were 1,277 alcohol-specific deaths registered in Scotland in 2023, an increase of one death from 2022. This is the highest number of alcohol-specific deaths registered in a year since 2008
- The rate of mortality for alcohol-specific deaths was 22.7 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023. This measure takes into account the size and age-structure of the population.
- Male deaths continue to account for around two thirds of alcohol-specific deaths. Over the last year, male alcohol-specific deaths increased by 25, while female deaths decreased by 24.
- The age profile of alcohol-specific deaths has become older over time, with the average age at death increasing from 56 to 60 in the last decade. In 2023, the alcohol-specific mortality rates for those aged 65 to 74, and 75+ were at their highest since the series began in 1994.
- After adjusting for age, the alcohol-specific mortality rate was higher than the Scottish average in the council areas of Inverclyde, Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, and Dundee City.
- Alcohol-specific deaths were 4.5 times as high in the most deprived areas of Scotland compared to the least deprived areas in 2023. This compares to a ratio of 1.8 times for all causes of death. This ratio has decreased over time.
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Alcohol-related hospitalisations
- In 2023/24 there were 32,301 alcohol-related hospital admissions (stays) in Scotland. The majority of alcohol-related hospital admissions (92%) occurred in general acute hospitals (29,829) with the remaining 8% of admissions (2,469) occurring in psychiatric hospitals.
- In 2023/24, the European Age-sex standardised rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions to general acute hospitals was 548 per 100,000 population and was 3% higher than the rate in 2022/23 (532 per 100,000).
- In 2023/24, males (539 patients per 100,000 population) were two times more likely than females (233 patients per 100,000 population) to be admitted to hospitals for conditions wholly attributable to alcohol.
- In 2023/24, people in the most deprived areas (942 patients per 100,000 population), as measured by SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation), were six times more likely to be admitted to hospitals for conditions wholly attributable to alcohol than those in the least deprived areas (143 patients per 100,000 population).
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References
[1] Alcohol-specific and Alcohol-related deaths: What does it all mean? – Institute of Alcohol Studies