The annual ‘Scotland’s Population’ report, published by the National Records of Scotland, also states the poorest were 5.6 times more likely to die due to alcohol.

The figures for drugs deaths are an increase compared to the early 2000s when poorer communities were 10 times more likely to die from drug misuse, however the equivalent figure for alcohol deaths has decreased from a high of 8.7 in 2002.

The report also states that Scotland will have a “smaller and older” population by 2045, with the country’s population projected to fall in the next decade, starting in 2029.