Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2021-2022

Statistics on crimes and offences recorded and cleared up by the police in Scotland in 2021-22, split by crime or offence group and by local authority.


Total Recorded Crime

Total Recorded Crime has decreased by 14 percent between 2012-13 and 2021-22, and has decreased by 4 percent between 2020-21 and 2021-22. Recorded Crime in 2021-22 consisted of 32 percent Crimes of dishonesty, 24 percent Non-sexual crimes of violence, 21 percent Crimes against society, 15 percent Damage and reckless behaviour, 5 percent Sexual Crimes and 1 percent Coronavirus restrictions.

The recording of crime is at the lowest level seen since 1974. The total number of crimes recorded by the police in Scotland in 2021-22 was 286,464. This is 12,988 crimes (or 4%) lower than the level recorded in 2020-21.

Over the past ten years, total recorded crime in Scotland has decreased by 14%. This continues a generally decreasing trend in recorded crime over the longer term, from a peak in 1991 when crime reached a record high of 613,943.

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.

Chart 1: Total crimes recorded by the police, 1971 to 1994, 1995-96 to 2021-22
The level of total recorded crime is currently quite similar to that of 1971, however that hasn’t always been the case. Between 1971 and 1991, total recorded crime increased from 227,476 to 613,943 when it peaked then decreased from 613,943 to 286,464 between 1991 and 2021-22. The 1971 figure of 227,476 remains the lowest recorded level of total crime.

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 2021-22, of all recorded crimes:

  • Crimes of dishonesty was the largest group, accounting for 32%
  • Non-sexual crimes of violence accounted for 24%
  • Crimes against society accounted for 21%
  • Damage and reckless behaviour accounted for 15%
  • Sexual crimes accounted for 5%
  • Crimes relating to Coronavirus restrictions accounted for 1%

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

The national rate of total recorded crime was 524 crimes per 10,000 population in 2021-22. This has decreased from 548 in 2020-21.

Chart 2: Crimes recorded by the police by crime group, 1971 to 1994, 1995-96 to 2021-22
Long term trends since 1971 in recorded crime vary by crime group. Crimes of dishonesty have consistently accounted for the highest volume of recorded crime since 1971. It increased from 173,940 to 430,153 between 1971 and 1991 when it peaked then has decreased from 430,153 to 92,873 between 1991 and 2021-22 though its lowest recorded level occurred in 2020-21 at 89,731 which is closely followed by the 2021-22 figure. Damage and reckless behaviour increased from 21,962 to 129,734 between 1971 and 2006-07 when it peaked then decreased from 129,734 to 44,284 between 2006-07 and 2021-22. The 1971 figure of 21,962 remains the lowest recorded figure. Non-sexual crimes of violence increased from 22,042 to 92,266 between 1971 and 2006-07 when it peaked then decreased from 92,266 to 69,286 between 2006-07 and 2021.22. The 1971 figure of 22,042 remains the lowest recorded figure. Crimes against society increased from 4,921 to 84,938 between 1971 and 2006-07 when it peaked then decreased from 84,938 to 61,059 between 2006-07 and 2021-22. The 1971 figure of 4,921 remains the lowest recorded figure.
Sexual crimes have consistently accounted for the lowest volume of recorded crime since 1971 (not including Coronavirus restrictions) and has remained relatively stable until the increase in most recent years. They increased from 4,611 to 10,273 between 1971 and 2015-16 then increased at a higher rate from 10,273 to 15,049 between 2015-16 and 2021-22 which is its highest recorded level. Its lowest recorded level was 4,111 in 1974.

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

Total Recorded Crime by Local Authority

Notwithstanding that year-on-year figures can fluctuate across local authorities, the long term trend of decreasing crime is broadly the same across Scotland.

Since 2012-13, most local authorities have seen a reduction in total recorded crime. Only four (Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Lothian and Scottish Borders) have seen an increase.

Since 2020-21, twenty-four local authorities have seen a decrease in total recorded crime. Eight have seen an increase.

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

In Scotland as a whole, there were 524 recorded crimes per 10,000 population in 2021-22. Dundee City (807 per 10,000 population), Glasgow City (768 per 10,000 population) and Aberdeen City (689 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.

Chart 3 shows the number of recorded crimes per 10,000 population in each local authority in 2021-22.
In 2021-22, recorded crime per 10,000 population varied considerably by Local Authority. The number of crimes per 10,000 population for Scotland as a whole is 524. Dundee City recorded the highest number of crimes per ten thousand population at 807, while Orkney Islands recorded the lowest number of crimes per ten thousand population at 165.

1. Due to 2021 mid-year population estimates from the National Records of Scotland being published after the release of the Recorded Crime in Scotland 2021-22 bulletin, the 2020 mid-year population estimates have been used to calculate the 2021 population rates.

Contact

Email: Justice_Analysts@gov.scot

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