Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2023-24

Total Recorded Crime

The recording of crime remains below the position immediately prior to the pandemic (2019-20) and down 51% from its peak in 1991. The total number of crimes recorded by the police in Scotland in 2023-24 was 299,780. This is 10,418 crimes (or 4%) higher than the level recorded in 2022-23.

Over the past ten years, total recorded crime in Scotland has decreased by 5%. This represents a more stable period than the previous ten years (2004-15 to 2013-14), when total recorded crime fell by 35%.

Chart 1 shows the total number of recorded crimes since 1971.

Legislative changes and changes to crime recording practices will have had some effect on the longer term time series for recorded crime. Annex 3 provides information on these changes.

Recorded Crime in Scotland has decreased significantly since it peaked in 1991, returning to similar levels seen in 1975.

Note: Data are incomplete for 1975 due to local government reorganisation.

Chart 2 shows the number of recorded crimes for each crime group since 1971 and gives an indication of the scale of crimes recorded in each group.

In 2023-24, of all recorded crimes:

• Crimes of dishonesty was the largest group, accounting for 37%
• Non-sexual crimes of violence accounted for 24%
• Crimes against society accounted for 21%
• Damage and reckless behaviour accounted for 14%
• Sexual crimes accounted for 5%

These crime groups are discussed in more detail in the following chapters.

The national rate of total recorded crime was 550 crimes per 10,000 population in 2023-24. This has increased from 531 in 2022-23.

Crimes of dishonesty has consistently been the largest crime group in each year since 1971.

Note: Data are incomplete for 1975 due to local government reorganisation.

Total Recorded Crime by Local Authority

Since 2022-23, six local authorities have seen a decrease in total recorded crime, two saw very little (less than half a percentage) change and 24 have seen an increase.

Since 2014-15, most local authorities have seen a reduction in total recorded crime. The largest falls were in East Dunbartonshire (down 23%), Shetland Islands (down 20%) and Stirling (down 17%). Of those areas that have seen an increase, the largest were in East Lothian (up 26%), Orkney Islands (up 23%) and Dumfries & Galloway (up 22%).

Table 1 in the 'Supporting documents' Excel workbook provides the number of crimes recorded in each local authority over the past ten years.

Chart 3 shows the number of recorded crimes per 10,000 population in each local authority in 2023-24.

In Scotland as a whole, there were 550 recorded crimes per 10,000 population in 2023-24. Dundee City (847 per 10,000 population) and Glasgow City (812 per 10,000 population) recorded the highest rates.

Table 4 in the 'Supporting documents' Excel workbook provides further details on the number of crimes recorded per 10,000 population in each local authority over the past ten years.

Dundee City and Glasgow City have significantly higher numbers of crimes per 10,000 population in 2023-24.

1. Due to 2023 mid-year population estimates from the National Records of Scotland being published after the release of the Recorded Crime in Scotland 2023-24 bulletin, the 2022 mid-year population estimates have been used to calculate the 2023-24 population rates.