Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2023-24

Crimes of Dishonesty

Crimes of dishonesty is the largest crime group, accounting for over a third (37%) of all crime recorded in Scotland in 2023-24. Between 2022-23 and 2023-24, the number of Crimes of dishonesty recorded by the police in Scotland increased by 7%, from 103,393 to 111,054. Chart 10 below shows the number of Crimes of dishonesty from 1971 onwards. Crimes of dishonesty increased for a long period since 1971 and peaked in 1991. After then, there has been a long-term decreasing trend, with a decrease of 74% between 1991 and 2023-24. Despite the recent increase, the last four years have had the lowest number of crimes of dishonesty since comparable records began in 1971.

Crimes of dishonesty have decreased significantly since a peak in 1991 despite increasing slightly in recent years.

Chart 10: Crimes of dishonesty recorded by the police, 1971 to 1994, 1995‑96 to 2023-24. Number of recorded Crimes of dishonesty, 000s

The national rate of recorded Crimes of dishonesty was 204 per 10,000 population in 2023-24, an increase from 190 per 10,000 population in 2022-23.

In 2023-24, of all Crimes of dishonesty:

• Shoplifting accounted for 35%
• Other theft accounted for 31%.
• Fraud accounted for 15%
• Housebreaking accounted for 8%
• Theft of and from a motor vehicle together accounted for 7%
• Other dishonesty accounted for 3%
• Theft by opening lockfast places accounted for 1%

All these categories except Fraud and Shoplifting have seen large decreases in the number of crimes recorded over the past ten years. Shoplifting has seen an increase of 41% since 2014-15, to its highest recorded level in the last ten years. Fraud has seen a large increase of 140% since 2014-15.

Chart 11 shows the four largest categories within Crimes of dishonesty over the last ten years and gives an indication of the trend and scale of each category.

Shoplifting and Other theft have consistently been the largest two categories of Crimes of dishonesty in each of the last ten years.

Chart 11: Crimes of dishonesty recorded by the police, showing four largest categories, 2014-15 to 2023-24. Number of recorded crimes of dishonesty, 000s

The following sections discuss in more detail trends for each crime category comprised in the Crimes of dishonesty crime group. These are:

• Housebreaking
• Theft by opening lockfast places
• Theft from a Motor Vehicle
• Theft of motor vehicle
• Shoplifting
• Other theft
• Fraud
• Other dishonesty

Housebreaking

Housebreaking accounted for 8% of Crimes of dishonesty. Over the ten year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24 this crime group has decreased by 56%, however there was a 3% increase from 8,796 crimes in 2022-23 to 9,033 in 2023-24.

Theft by opening lockfast places

Theft by opening a lockfast place accounted for 1% of Crimes of dishonesty. Over the ten year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24, this crime has seen a decrease of 52%. The number of crimes recorded in this category has increased by 6% in the most recent year, from 1,297 in 2022-23 to 1,377 in 2023-24.

Theft from a Motor Vehicle

Theft from a motor vehicle accounted for 2% of Crimes of dishonesty. Over the ten year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24 this crime has seen a large decrease of 61%, however there was a 9% increase from 2,061 crimes in 2022-23 to 2,251 in 2023-24.

Theft of motor vehicle

Theft of a motor vehicle accounted for 5% of Crimes of dishonesty. Over the ten year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24 this crime has seen a decrease of 6%. There was a 2% decrease in the most recent year, from 5,182 crimes in 2022-23 to 5,090 in 2023-24.

Shoplifting

Shoplifting accounted for over a third (35%) of Crimes of dishonesty and is now the largest category within this group. There was an increasing trend since 2014-15, which was interrupted by a decrease in 2019-20 and a further larger decrease in 2020-21. This was likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic related restrictions. There were increases in both 2021-22 and 2022-23, then a further increase of 35%, to 38,674 crimes in 2023-24. This is now 15% above the high originally seen in 2018-19. Over the ten-year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24, this crime has seen an increase of 41%.

Other theft

Other theft consists of Theft of pedal cycles, Theft from a motor vehicle not elsewhere classified and Theft not elsewhere classified (excl. motor vehicles).

This category was the largest in Crimes of dishonesty in previous years and accounted for 31% of these crimes in 2023-24. Over the ten year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24, Other theft has seen a decrease of 36%, including a 7% decrease in the most recent year, from 37,084 crimes in 2022-23 to 34,311 in 2023-24.

Fraud

Crimes of Fraud accounted for 15% of Crimes of dishonesty. Fraud increased year-on-year between 2014-15 and 2022-23, increasing by 140% in that time period. However, there was a 2% decrease in the most recent year, from 16,879 crimes in 2022-23 to 16,624 in 2023-24.

Much of the recent increase in Fraud has related to cyber-crimes which are estimated to account for more than half of all Frauds (59%) in 2023-24 and saw a further rise in the previous year. Further information on this change is available in the Cyber-crime chapter.

Other dishonesty

Other dishonesty includes crimes of Reset, Corruption, Embezzlement, and other crimes of forgery which are not classified elsewhere.

Other dishonesty accounted for 3% of Crimes of dishonesty. Over the ten year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24 this crime has seen a decrease of 14%, however there was a 6% increase in the most recent year, from 3,475 crimes in 2022-23 to 3,694 in 2023-24.