Drinking & alcohol sales
Survey answers and retail sales measure different things. Looking at both gives a clearer picture of how drinking in Scotland is changing.
Alcohol sold 10.7 litres of pure alcohol per adult drinker — 2025.
Public Health Scotland estimated that 10.7 litres of pure alcohol were sold per adult drinker in Scotland in 2025. That is equivalent to 20.7 units per adult drinker per week.
Retail sales data estimates alcohol sold, not what any one person actually drinks.
Public Health Scotland — alcohol consumption and harms dashboard↗Sales trend Sales per adult drinker have fallen since 2017.
The estimated volume of pure alcohol sold per adult drinker fell from 12.7 litres in 2017 to 10.7 litres in 2025.
Public Health Scotland describes the decline across 2017 to 2025 as steady.
Public Health Scotland — retail sales trend 2017–2025↗Off-trade 76% of alcohol sales — 2025.
In 2025, 76% of alcohol sold in Scotland was sold through off-trade premises such as supermarkets and off-licences.
The off-trade share was 73% in 2017. The share has risen even though the estimated volume sold through the off-trade has fallen.
Public Health Scotland — off-trade sales↗On-trade Pubs, bars and restaurants account for the smaller share.
Public Health Scotland estimates that on-trade sales in Scotland fell from 2.9 litres of pure alcohol per adult in 2017 to 2.1 litres in 2025.
On-trade sales dropped sharply during the COVID-19 restrictions and later recovered, but remained below the 2017 level in 2025.
Public Health Scotland — on-trade and off-trade trends↗Scotland compared Off-trade sales remain higher than in England & Wales.
Across the 2017 to 2025 series, off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland were consistently higher than in England & Wales.
On-trade sales were broadly similar between Scotland and England & Wales.
Public Health Scotland — Scotland and England & Wales comparison↗Drinking levels 20% reported hazardous or harmful drinking — 2024.
In the 2024 Scottish Health Survey, 20% of adults were classed as drinking at hazardous or harmful levels. The figure was 29% for men and 13% for women.
The proportion has fallen from 34% of adults in 2003.
Scottish Health Survey 2024 — alcohol↗Average units 11.3 units a week among adults who drank in the past year — 2024.
Among adults who had consumed alcohol in the past year, the mean reported intake was 11.3 units a week in 2024.
The average was 15.0 units for men and 7.8 units for women. These are self-reported survey figures and should not be treated as the same measure as retail sales.
Scottish Health Survey — average weekly units↗Non-drinkers 20% of adults reported not drinking — 2024.
The proportion of adults reporting that they do not drink alcohol rose from 11% in 2003 to 20% in 2024.
In 2024, 22% of women and 18% of men reported that they were non-drinkers.
Scottish Health Survey — non-drinkers↗Why figures differ Sales data and survey data answer different questions.
Retail sales estimates show the amount of alcohol sold in the population. Surveys ask people what they drink and can show differences by age, sex and other characteristics.
Survey answers can understate consumption, while retail sales cannot tell us who drank the alcohol. The two sources are useful together, but they should not be described as if they are the same measure.
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