Matt Hamill, the charity’s head of policy and impact, said the plan would be a “deeply concerning step backwards”, coming just as new analysis shows the number of people who died while homeless in Scotland rose by 38% last year.

“A crisis like this should be managed with more data, not less,” he said.

“Every death is a tragedy and the rising number of people dying while homeless, whilst extremely difficult to confront, makes the case for more data and even greater understanding. Frequent, reliable data on homeless deaths is central to ensuring effective prevention and ultimately saving lives.”

Mr Hamill added: “We would strongly urge National Records of Scotland to revisit this proposal. The answer to these challenging statistics is not to publish them less frequently, it is to double down on understanding what is going on in order to prevent further tragedies.”

The proposal was revealed in a written Holyrood question and forms part of a wider review of NRS’s statistical publications. It also comes more than two years after the Scottish Government declared a national housing emergency.

The latest figures show 231 people died while homeless in 2024, an increase of almost 48% since tracking began in 2017. In Glasgow, deaths rose to 36 in 2024, with almost 300 recorded in the city over five years.

Separate figures published last month showed almost 3,000 households had slept rough the night before applying for homelessness support in 2025-26.

The plan has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum.

Scottish Labour housing spokesman Mark Griffin said scaling back reporting during a housing emergency would be “completely unacceptable”, adding: “We can’t look the other way or bury our heads in the sand while people die.”

Scottish Greens housing spokesperson Iris Duane described the proposal as a “scandal” and said NRS must continue annual publication. She called for a public health approach and properly funded, integrated services, including mental health and addiction support.

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur said a lack of regular data leaves the government and Holyrood “ill-equipped to tackle” the issue.

Reform MSP Thomas Kerr accused the First Minister of seeking to hide “alarming statistics” from the public, and demanded full transparency.

NRS said its initial engagement had focused mainly on organisations that use the statistics for policy development, and that it is now seeking wider public views.

A six-week consultation has been launched, with feedback to be considered before final decisions are made. Responses are due by December 3.

The body said the review aims to ensure Scotland maintains a “sustainable, high-quality statistical system”, with resources directed at publications offering the greatest value to users and decision-makers.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said every death of a person experiencing homelessness “highlights its unacceptable cost”. They pointed to a shift from crisis management to prevention, backed by a £50 million Homelessness Prevention Fund, the delivery of 1,500 Housing First tenancies, and £2m in support for Social Bite’s work on homelessness.