Homelessness in Scotland: 2025-26

Characteristics of the homeless population

The following findings provide a broad overview of the characteristics of the homeless population and how they compare to the Scottish (adult) population. They highlight key findings where differences exist for aspects of homelessness across the characteristics of age, gender, and ethnicity.

Although data is captured for the main applicant and a second applicant where applicable, findings are based on the characteristics of the main applicant only, for ease of reporting. Given the majority of homeless households only contain one adult, this only affects 12% of all households where there are two or more adults.

The characteristics of a household are initially collected by the local authority at the application stage. While it is possible for these characteristics to change between application and case closure, it may not be practical for the data collection to be updated to reflect these changes. Therefore, for a small number of households, the characteristics information reported may be out of date. This is most likely to affect household composition.

Detailed figures are available in accompanying equalities tables from our supporting documents page. Caution should be taken when interpreting results based on small numbers of households. This is particularly true when comparing results for different ethnic groups.

Age

• The homeless population is younger than the overall adult Scottish population (16+).
• Reasons and prior circumstances.
  • Younger people are more likely to become homeless for the reason of being asked to leave.
  • The proportion becoming homeless from a private rented tenancy and owning own property increases with age.
  • Repeat homelessness is most common for 35-49 age group.
• Support needs.
  • Younger applications are more likely to require basic housing/living skills and have a learning disability.
  • Drug/alcohol dependency and mental health problems most common amongst 35-64 year olds.
  • Older applicants are more likely to have a medical condition and physical disability.
• Temporary accommodation.
  • Younger applicants are more likely to take up temporary accommodation whilst older applicants are least likely.
  • Older applicants spend the least time in temporary accommodation – 181 days, on average, compared to 237 overall.
  • Younger applicants less likely to refuse or not be offered temporary accommodation.
• Outcomes.
  • For most ages, 82 to 86% secured settled accommodation.
  • The exception was 16-17 year olds where 79% secured settled accommodation.
  • Average time for case closure was shortest for 65+ age group.

Gender

• 60% of homeless households (main applicant) are male compared to 48% of the adult Scottish population.
• Women are more likely to be homeless as a result of a violent or abusive household dispute.
• 86% of those reporting rough sleeping in the previous three months were men.
• 72% of those previously assessed as homeless in the last year were men.
• Homeless households are more likely to be single adult or single parent compared to the overall population.
  • Single parent households are more likely to be female – 13% compared to 5% male.
  • Single person households more likely to be male – 51% compared to 21% female.
• Property type homeless from
  • Men are more likely to become homelessness from supported accommodation, prison and asylum accommodation.
  • Women are more likely to become homelessness from parents/relatives, local authority and private rented tenancies and owning/buying own property accommodation.
• Secured settled accommodation
  • Bar chart showing proportion securing settled accommodation by household type.
• Temporary accommodation.
  • Men are more likely to take up temporary accommodation (68%) than women (57%).
  • Men account for 86% of temporary accommodation not offered and 74% of breaches of the unsuitable accommodation order.

Ethnicity

• The homeless population has a much lower proportion with White ethnicity vs Scotland overall, with 2025-26 the lowest in the time series
  • Large increases were experienced for African (1,165 and 123%) and Arabian (705, 57%) ethnicities.
  • The largest numerical decrease was for those with White Scottish ethnicity (1,075, 5%).
• Temporary accommodation taken up
  • Bar chart showing temporary accommodation take up by ethnicity.
• White Scottish and White Other British more likely to have a support need than any other ethnicity.
• African and Arabian ethnicities experience disproportionately high levels of rough sleeping.
• Those with ethnicities of African, Arabian, Other and Not known are most likely to not be offered temporary accommodation and be in breach of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order.
• Securing settled accommodation
  • Bar chart showing proportion securing settled accommodation by ethnicity.