Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report : May 2024 edition

Summary statistics on crime in general

Police recorded crime is at one of the lowest levels seen since 1974 and is down 2% since the year ending December 2019. The total number of crimes recorded by the police in Scotland in the year ending December 2023 was 302,076. This is 14,398 crimes (or 5%) higher than the level recorded in the year ending December 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 4%, from 69,117 in the year ending December 2022 to 71,900 in the year ending December 2023. Common assault (up 2%) makes up the clear majority (83%) of all non-sexual crimes of violence recorded in the year ending December 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 increased in the most recent year. Sexual crimes increased by 2%, from 14,640 in the year ending December 2022 to 14,894 in the year ending December 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.

Decrease in recorded domestic abuse incidents. There were 61,934 incidents of domestic abuse recorded by the police in 2022-23, a decrease of 4% on 2021-22. In 2022-23, 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.