Scottish cities

Number of households assessed as homeless 

The overall number of households assessed as homeless in Glasgow more than halved between 2002/03 and 2021/22, although there has been an upward trend since 2017/18, and in 2023/24 there were 6,199 households assessed as homeless in Glasgow. Edinburgh similarly saw a drop over this time period, followed by a rise to 3,375 homeless households in 2023/24.

In both Aberdeen and Dundee, figures were lower at 1,270 and 1,106 homeless households, respectively, in 2023/24, but had risen slightly since 2002/03. Scottish figures reduced by around 15% over the period shown.

The 6,199 households in Glasgow assessed as being homeless in 2023/24 were made up of 7,081 adults and 2,591 children (27% children). 

Homelessness rates

This chart shows the rates of homelessness in each of the cities – the number of homeless households per 10,000 total households in the city. Glasgow had the highest rate among the cities, with 208 homeless households for every 10,000 households. Aberdeen had the lowest rate among the cities, at 114 – the only city with a rate lower than the Scottish average of 133.

Temporary accommodation

Once a household has been declared as homeless, they have a right to be re-housed. As they wait for suitable housing to become available, they are often placed in temporary accommodation. The aim is that this is short term and that a suitable, secure tenancy is offered quickly.

In 2024, there were 3,727 households living in temporary accommodation in Glasgow. This was just lower than the figure for Edinburgh (3,817), but much higher than in Dundee (456) or Aberdeen (442).

On average, those moving on from temporary accommodation to a secure tenancy in 2023/24 in Glasgow had been in temporary accommodation for 234 days – almost eight months. This average was higher for single parents (293 days), couples with children (445 days), and other families with children (457 days).

Homeless deaths

This chart shows the estimated homeless death rate in the four largest cities in Scotland, in 2022. Edinburgh had the highest homeless death rate of the four cities, at 138.5, and Aberdeen had the lowest rate among the cities, at 19.1. Both Glasgow and Edinburgh were above the Scottish average of 58.7, with Aberdeen and Dundee below this average.

Across Scotland, estimated homeless death rates were higher for males than females. Almost half (49%) of homeless deaths were people under 45 years of age. Just over a third of the deaths recorded (36%) were related to drug misuse. 

Notes

Homelessness deaths figures are experimental. They are derived from counting death registration records where the person was living in temporary accommodation or sleeping rough before they died. An estimate is then added, as this is likely to undercount the true number of deaths of people experiencing homelessness. Rates are then calculated per million population – using the full adult population (aged 15-74), not only the homeless population.

This page was updated in October 2024, using figures released in September 2024. The Scottish Government updates homelessness statistics annually.