Glasgow City Region
Number of households assessed as homeless
In 2002/03, there were over twice as many households experiencing homelessness in Glasgow (12,002) than there were in the rest of the Glasgow City Region local authorities combined (5,746). By around 2007/08, these figures were closer to one another, and they remained similar for the rest of the time period shown. In 2023/24, there were 6,906 homeless households in the rest of GCR and 6,199 in Glasgow city.
Due to the comparatively high numbers of households experiencing homelessness in Glasgow city, this GCR chart only shows the other GCR local authorities, as well as North and South Lanarkshire.
Throughout the time period shown (2002/03-2023/24), North and South Lanarkshire have had higher levels of homelessness than the GCR local authorities. In 2022/23, North Lanarkshire had 1,765 households experiencing homelessness – the highest of any local authority shown here. In 2023/24, it was South Lanarkshire which had the highest number – with 2,267 households experiencing homelessness.
Among the GCR local authorities, West Dunbartonshire has seen the highest numbers, with 1,008 households experiencing homelessness in 2023/24, followed by Renfrewshire, with 848.
The lowest number in 2002/03 was in East Renfrewshire, where 165 households experienced homelessness. In 2023/24, figures were lowest in East Dunbartonshire, where 252 households experienced homelessness.
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. The highest rate in GCR was in West Dunbartonshire, where 235 per 10,000 households experienced homelessness in 2023/24. Glasgow city (208) and South Lanarkshire (152) also had higher rates that the Scottish average of 133. The other local authorities shown had rates below the Scottish average – with East Dunbartonshire having the lowest rate in GCR, of 54 per 10,000 households.
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.
Again, this chart excludes Glasgow city where 3,727 households were in temporary accommodation in 2023/24. The highest number of households in temporary accommodation amongst these local authorities was consistently in South Lanarkshire – with 624 households in temporary accommodation in 2020 and 764 in 2024. The lowest in both years was in Inverclyde – with 49 households in temporary accommodation in 2020 and 72 in 2024.
This chart shows the estimated homeless death rate in each of the local authorities in the Glasgow City Region in 2022. The highest rate in GCR was in Glasgow (112.1). The next highest rate was in West Dunbartonshire (68). Each of the other local authorties shown had a lower rate than the Scottish average of 58.7. The lowest rate was in East Renfrewshire (16.4).
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
Homeless 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.