Homicide in Scotland 2022-23

Key Points

• In 2022-23, 52 victims of homicide were recorded, 2% (or one victim) fewer than the 53 victims recorded in 2021-22 (Table 1). This is the lowest number of recorded homicide victims since comparable records began in 1976.
• Over the latest 10 year period from 2013-14 to 2022-23, the number of victims fell by 16% (or 10 victims) from 62 to 52. (Table 1).
• Over the latest 20 year period from 2003-04 to 2022-23, the number of homicide victims in Scotland fell by 52% (or 57 victims) from 109 to 52. (Table 1).
• The biggest reduction in homicide victims over the last 20 years has been amongst young people aged 16-24. In the five years between 2003-04 to 2007-08 there were 126 victims in this age range. This dropped to 24 across the latest five years between 2018-19 to 2022-23. (Table 5)
• Of the 52 victims recorded in 2022-23, 75% (39) were male and 25% (13) were female (Table 5).
• In 2022-23, 73 persons were accused of homicide, of which 88% (64) were male and 12% (nine) were female (Table 6). For all the 52 homicide victims recorded in 2022-23, the associated case was solved.
• For each of the last 20 years, the most common method of killing was with a sharp instrument (Table 7). In 2022-23, a sharp instrument was the main method of killing for 58% (or 30) of homicide victims.
• For the latest year of 2022-23, the majority (54%) of male victims were killed by an acquaintance (21 of 39 male victims). Female victims were most likely to be killed by a partner or ex-partner (46% - or 6 of 13 female victims). (Table 8)
• Whilst most recorded incidents of homicide in these statistics have one victim and one accused, some incidents can have multiple victims and (or) accused. There were 51 homicide incidents recorded in 2022-23, 2% (or 1 incident) fewer than the 52 recorded in 2021-22 (Table 1).