Justice Analytical Services (JAS) Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report : October 2023 edition

Crime in General

Summary statistics on crime in general

Police recorded crime is at one of the lowest levels seen since 1974 and is down 4% since the year ending June 2019. The total number of crimes recorded by the police in Scotland in the year ending June 2023 was 292,702. This is 6,728 crimes (or 2%) higher than the level recorded in the year ending June 2022.

Crime has fallen by 46% since 2008-09. Results from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) show that around 1 in 8 adults were victims of crime in 2019-20 (11.9%) compared to 1 in 5 in 2008-09 (20.4%). The estimated number of crimes fell by 46% over the same period, and by 21% since 2016-17. The SCJS detected no change in the overall victimisation rate between 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Recorded violent crime decreased in the most recent year. Non-sexual crimes of violence recorded by the police decreased by less than 1%, from 70,286 in the year ending June 2022 to 70,136 in the year ending June 2023. Common assault (down 1%) makes up the clear majority (84%) of all non-sexual crimes of violence recorded in the year ending June 2023. The SCJS showed a 39% fall in violent crime between 2008-09 and 2019-20 and that an estimated 48% of violent crime in 2019-20 was reported to the police.

Recorded sexual crimes decreased in the most recent year. Sexual crimes decreased by less than 1%, from a high of 14,880 in the year ending June 2022 to 14,834 in the year ending June 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%).

No. of victims of homicide at record low. There were 53 homicide victims recorded by the police in Scotland in 2021-22, a 16% decrease from 2012-13 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.

Small increase in firearm offences. Between 2018-19 and 2019-20 the number of crimes and offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been involved increased by 3% (from 332 to 341 offences). The 2018-19 and 2019-20 totals are the lowest and second lowest, respectively, since comparable records began in 1980.