Domestic abuse: statistics recorded by the police in Scotland, 2023 to 2024

This bulletin presents statistics on domestic abuse, based on details of incidents and crimes recorded by Police Scotland in 2023 to 2024. Domestic abuse recorded by the police does not reveal the incidence of all domestic abuse committed in Scotland, as not all incidents are reported to the police.

These figures are used to inform policy and, in conjunction with findings on partner abuse from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, are used to assess the extent and nature of domestic abuse in Scotland.

Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) have a shared definition of domestic abuse available on the Police Scotland website. This definition is:

‘Any form of physical, verbal, sexual, psychological or financial abuse which might amount to criminal conduct and which takes place within the context of a relationship. The relationship will be between partners (married, cohabiting, civil partnership or otherwise) or ex-partners. The abuse can be committed in the home or elsewhere including online’.