Almost nine-in-ten people who died while homeless had a history of problem substance use, according to the latest annual figures published by the Health Research Board (HRB) today.

Deaths among people who were homeless at time of death in Ireland, 2021, shows 128 premature and preventable deaths among people who were homeless in 2021 – the latest year for which figures are compiled.*

The latest data show that 8 in 10 (80%) of all deaths were among males with a median age of 44 while the median age among females was 37.

Cause of death

Almost half (48%) of deaths were due to drug poisoning while over half (52%) were due to other causes, mainly medical conditions.

In 2021, the most common drug groups implicated in the 61 poisoning deaths were opioids (82%), benzodiazepines (69%), alcohol (38%), and cocaine (36%). Polysubstance poisoning accounted for the majority of poisoning deaths among males (85%) and all poisoning deaths among females (100%).

The opioid, methadone, was the most common drug implicated in poisoning deaths (52%), a higher proportion among females (85%) compared to males (44%). 

Over a third (38%) of those who died while homeless were known to have accessed substance use treatment at some stage of their life, with 28% known to be accessing treatment at time of death.

Non-poisonings were mainly due to medical causes (70%) such as cardiovascular issues, while 30% involved trauma such as drowning or falling.

The HRB report also shows there were 18 (14%) deaths among people who were homeless and had no recorded history of drug or alcohol use. The median age of this group was 56 years.

Mental health issues

One-in-three deaths were among people with a known history of mental health issues (52% of all female fatalities and 29% of all male fatalities).

Of these, 79% were known to be in contact with medical services, including substance use treatment services (100% of females compared to 70% of males).