Scottish Public Health Observatory quarterly update
July 2026

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides the Scottish Public Health Observatory (ScotPHO) quarterly update on a number of topic areas. Of these topics, Diabetes pages contain new data.

Main points

Diabetes:

• Hospital admissions for type 1 and type 2 diabetes are on the increase. Where type 1 was the principal diagnosis, rates rose from 62.2 per 100,000 in 2011/12 to 63.3 in 2024/25. Where type 2 was the principal diagnosis rates rose from 35.2 in 2011/12 to 44.3 per 100,000 in 2024/25.
• Diabetic ketoacidosis is a metabolic emergency that occurs in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It occurs when ketones build up in the blood due to a lack of insulin. In type 1, rates have been consistent since 2013/2014 and remain highest in younger people. In type 2, rates have increased driven by those aged 65+.  
• There were 1,283 deaths in 2024 where diabetes was listed as the underlying (primary) cause of death. Of these, 76.7% were due to type 2 diabetes (984). Deaths due to both types of diabetes have been increasing since 2011. 
• In type 2 diabetes, there is a gap in mortality between men and women. In women, deaths where type 2 diabetes was the underlying cause have begun to level off, with a 6% rise in mortality recorded between 2017 and 2024. Mortality in men has increased by 27% over the same period. Similarly, the mortality rate where type 2 diabetes was a contributory cause remains 72% higher in men.

Background

The Scottish Public Health Observatory (ScotPHO) is provided by Public Health Scotland, Scotland’s national public health body. Its purpose is to make public health information more accessible, to promote a reduction in health inequalities, and to inform health improvement in Scotland.

Further information

Data from this publication are available from the publication page of the ScotPHO website.