Homicide in Scotland 2023-24

Introduction

This bulletin presents statistics on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2023-24. This includes the number of victims and accused for all recorded cases of Murder and Culpable homicide (common law), with these two crimes collectively referred to as homicide throughout the bulletin. Statistics are also presented on the number of homicide incidents (irrespective of the number of victims or accused for each incident), the circumstances associated with the homicide, and additional details relating to the method, motive and relationship between the victim and the accused. The associated tables referenced throughout this bulletin can be downloaded from Homicide in Scotland 2023-24 Supporting documents.

A glossary in the annex provides a full list of key variables used throughout this bulletin and what they mean. The statistics on homicides are used alongside a range of other information to inform the Scottish Government’s Vision for Justice in Scotland. These statistics are also used by a wide range of stakeholders to monitor trends, for policy research and development, and for research purposes. The Homicide in Scotland statistical bulletin forms part of a series of bulletins produced by the Scottish Government on the criminal justice system, which can be found at: Crime and justice statistics.

This bulletin excludes crimes of corporate homicide. The Scottish Government also publishes Recorded Crime in Scotland, which includes data on the category of ‘Murder and Culpable Homicide’ which includes these crimes. The 2023-24 edition can be accessed at: Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2023-24.

The data in this bulletin are collected separately from the data included in the Recorded Crime in Scotland bulletin. For the crimes of murder and culpable homicide, data are extracted from police recording systems at a different time point and so there may be discrepancies in the information presented here and the Recorded Crime in Scotland bulletin.

A data and methodology statement is available at the end of this document. This provides further information on the production of these statistics, the quality assurance undertaken and our approach to revisions.

An Accredited Official Statistics Publication for Scotland

These statistics are accredited official statistics. The Office for Statistics Regulation has independently reviewed and accredited these statistics as complying with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.

These statistics were accredited in June 2011. The accreditation notice is available to view on the OSR website.

Scottish Government statistics are regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

More information about Scottish Government statistics is available on the Scottish Government website.