Justice Analytical Services (JAS) Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report February 2024 edition

Summary statistics on crime in general

Police recorded crime is at one of the lowest levels seen since 1974 and is down 3% since the year ending September 2019. The total number of crimes recorded by the police in Scotland in the year ending September 2023 was 297,425. This is 10,051 crimes (or 3%) higher than the level recorded in the year ending September 2022.

Crime has fallen by 53% since 2008-09. Results from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) show that around 1 in 10 adults were victims of crime in 2021-22 (10.0%) compared to 1 in 5 in 2008-09 (20.4%). The estimated number of crimes fell by 53% over the same period, and by 18% since 2017-18. The SCJS detected no change in the overall victimisation rate between 2019-20 and 2021-22.

Recorded violent crime increased in the most recent year. Non-sexual crimes of violence recorded by the police increased by 3%, from 69,353 in the year ending September 2022 to 71,571 in the year ending September 2023. Common assault (up 2%) makes up the clear majority (83%) of all non-sexual crimes of violence recorded in the year ending September 2023. The SCJS showed the volume of violent crime fell by nearly three-fifths (58%) between 2008-09 and 2021-22 and that an estimated 34% of violent crime in 2019-20 was reported to the police.

Recorded sexual crimes decreased in the most recent year. Sexual crimes decreased by 1%, from a high of 14,838 in the year ending September 2022 to 14,704 in the year ending September 2023. Multiple factors lie behind the long term increase in recorded sexual crime including a greater willingness of victims to come forward, more historical reporting, more online offending and the impact of new legislation. The SCJS for 2018-20 (2018-19 & 2019-20 combined) estimated that 3.6% of adults experienced at least one serious sexual assault since the age of 16, unchanged from 2008-09.

Women more likely to experience partner abuse. The SCJS, for 2018-20, estimated that 3.2% of respondents had experienced partner abuse in the year prior to interview. A higher proportion of women than men experienced this, at 3.7% and 2.6% respectively.

Decrease in crime clear up rate. The clear up rate for all recorded crimes was 53.3% in 2022-23, down from 54.0% in 2021-22. Crimes against society (93%), non-sexual crimes of violence (67%) and sexual crime (53%) continued to have higher clear up rates in 2022-23 than crimes of dishonesty (31%) and damage and reckless behaviour (29%).

Number of victims of homicide at record low. There were 52 homicide victims recorded by the police in Scotland in 2022-23, a 16% decrease from 2013-14 and the lowest value since comparable records began in 1976.

Slight decrease in recorded domestic abuse incidents. There were 64,807 incidents of domestic abuse recorded by the police in 2021-22, a decrease of 1% on 2020-21. In 2021-22, 39% of all incidents recorded by the police included the recording of at least one crime or offence.

Large decrease in firearm offences. Between 2020-21 and 2021-22, the number of crimes and offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been involved decreased by 23% (from 353 to 273 offences). The 2021-22 figure is the lowest recorded level since comparable records began in 1980.