Recorded crimes total remains below pre-Covid level

Recorded crime in Scotland remained at one of its lowest levels of recent decades in the year ending June 2023, according to official figures released today.

Police in Scotland recorded 292,702 crimes in the year ending June 2023, the first full year's figures since the ending of Covid-19 restrictions. This was 2% higher than the 285,974 crimes in the year ending June 2022, but 4% lower than the 305,300 recorded in the year ending June 2019, before the pandemic. The total figure remains one of the lowest for a 12-month period since 1974.

By type of crime, non-sexual crimes of violence were marginally lower than the previous year at 70,136, but 4% higher than in the year to June 2019. Sexual crimes were also slightly down, at 14,834 crimes, but 8% higher than the 2019 figure.

Crimes of dishonesty (104,495) were up 7% on the previous year, but down 7% on the year to June 2019.

Damage and reckless behaviour (42,932 crimes) was 3% lower than in the previous year ending June 2022, and 11% lower than the 2019 figure. Crimes against society (60,305) were up 2% on the year but 5% lower than in 2019.

The number of offences recorded in the year to June 2023 was 172,923, 2% lower than for the year to June 2022 and 8% down on the 2019 total.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance commented: "The safety and security of the public is my top priority, and these statistics show Scotland continues to be a safe place to live."