Care home census for adults in Scotland
Statistics for 2014 to 2024

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides information on the number of care homes, registered places, residents, admissions and discharges at Scotland and Local Authority level, covering the period from 2013/14 to 2023/24.  This publication reports on all care home residents from the annual Care Home Census for Adults, regardless of the source of the funding. It differs to the care home information in PHS's Insights into Social Care publication, which reports on residents in care homes anywhere in the UK, who are funded in part, or in full, by a Scottish Local Authority.

Main points

All care homes for adults in Scotland: 31 March 2024 compared with 31 March 2014

• On 31 March 2024, there were 1,020 care homes for adults and 40,079 registered places – 18% and 6% less, respectively, compared with 31 March 2014.
• On 31 March 2024, there were an estimated 34,113 residents aged 18 years and over in care homes – 7% less than on 31 March 2014 (36,751).
• The estimated percentage occupancy on 31 March 2024 was 85%, compared to 86% on 31 March 2014.
• On 31 March 2024, residents in care homes for older people accounted for 91% of residents in all care homes for adults (31,209 out of 34,113).

The figure is an infographic. It shows that, from 31 March 2014 to 31 March 2024, the number of care homes in Scotland decreased by 18%, the number of registered places decreased by 6%, the estimated number of residents decreased by 7%, and the estimated percentage occupancy decreased by 1 percentage point.

Close

Care homes for older people (65 years and over) in Scotland:

• Most care home provision is delivered by the private sector. The estimated number of residents in private sector care homes for older people was 25,853 on 31 March 2024. This is similar to 31 March 2014 (25,886). However, over the same period, the estimated number of residents decreased by 37% in the voluntary or not for profit sector to 2,134, and by 17% in the Local Authority/Health Board sector to 3,222.
• On 31 March 2024, there were an estimated 30,170 long stay residents in care homes for older people (in all sectors). Of these, an estimated 19,093 (63%) had dementia (either medically diagnosed or suspected).
• The estimated number of admissions for long stay residents to care homes for older people (in all sectors) was 6% higher in 2023/24, compared to 2013/14. Over the same period, the estimated number of admissions for respite residents was 69% lower. This decrease is particularly noticeable during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 21% reduction from 2013/14 to 2018/19 and a 70% reduction from 2018/19 to 2021/22. Since then, there has been an increase of 30%.

Background

All care homes for adults aged 18 years and over in Scotland are invited to participate in the annual Care Home Census. Data are provided by care homes via the Care Inspectorate’s eForms system. Of the 1,020 care homes for adults open on 31 March 2024, there were 818 (80%) care homes that submitted data for at least part of the Census and 202 (20%) care homes that did not submit any data. Census data not submitted by care homes are estimated, where possible, by PHS using the methodology described in the Data Quality section of the dashboard. No data is presented for 2019/20, when the Care Home Census was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.