Hate Crime Strategy delivery plan 2023 to 2026: implementation review

Aim two

The nature, characteristics and extent of hate crime in Scotland are more fully understood, and effectively inform appropriate interventions and policy development.

In order to prevent and tackle hate crime in Scotland, we need to understand what is happening. This includes the collection and publication of data, including information on intersectionality. Our commitment to continued meaningful and on-going lived experience engagement is another important tool in understanding the experiences of hate crime and shaping our interventions.

Action 6

The Scottish Government will work in partnership with relevant justice organisations to improve the level and availability of disaggregated hate crime data.

What has been delivered?

In January 2025, the Scottish Government published Hate Crimes Recorded by the Police in Scotland 2023-24, which shows that there were a total of 6,227 hate crimes recorded by the police in Scotland during 2023-24 (along with previously published time series analysis since 2014-15). The report highlighted that there was a decrease since 2014-15 in the number of recorded hate crimes that included a race aggravator (down 25% from 5,178 crimes to 3,907 crimes by 2023-24). There was a fall in those that included a religion aggravator (down 35% from 682 in 2014-15 to 440 in 2023-24). The number of crimes with a sexual orientation aggravator increased over the same period (up 34% from 1,110 in 2014-15 to 1,487 in 2023-24). The number of crimes with a disability aggravator more than doubled (from 260 in 2014-15 to 633 in 2023-24), and the number of transgender identity aggravated hate crimes has more than tripled, albeit from a relatively smaller base (from 53 to 161).

The first annual report on hate crime recorded by the police, under Section 15 (S.15) of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, was published on the 17^th February 2026. The report covers 2024-25, reflecting the first full year since the Act commenced on the 1^st April 2024. It includes information on offences aggravated by prejudice within the meaning of Section 1 of the Act, as well as offences recorded under the Act. It also includes the findings of research undertaken into the age, sex and ethnicity of victims and perpetrators, and the particular prejudice shown by perpetrators under each of the hate categories (i.e. Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation etc.)

The report shows that in 2024-25, the police recorded 8,538 hate crimes in Scotland. Over three-fifths (62%) of hate crimes included a race aggravator. Just under a quarter (24%) included a sexual orientation aggravator, and just over one in ten (12%) had a disability aggravator. Hate crimes with a religion aggravator made up 7% of all recorded, whilst those with a transgender identity aggravator made up 2%. The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 introduced two protected characteristics, the new characteristics of age and standalone characteristic of variation in sex characteristics. Hate crimes aggravated by age and variation in sex characteristics made up less than 1% of all hate crimes each.

This publication commences a new time series for hate crimes recorded by the police, due to both (i) the change in legislation and (ii) a change in methodology due to a new source of administrative data being used. It will therefore not be possible to produce any like-for-like comparisons of the number of hate crimes recorded before the 1^st April 2024 with those recorded from 1^st April 2024 onwards. The new report will include a more detailed update on how the 2024-25 figures should be interpreted, and our analytical plans for future reports under Section 15 of the Act.

The first report takes a hybrid approach, whereby (i) Section 15.1 (on numbers of recorded hate crimes) is delivered as previously envisaged and (ii) a large random sample of those crimes would be reviewed by Justice Analytical Services to provide an estimate of the information needed for Sections 15.2 and 15.3.

COPFS worked with Police Scotland and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) to create new data standards for recording and prosecuting hate crime. COPFS also published updated Lord Advocate Guidelines for the police as well as drafting new guidance for COPFS staff to support implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order Scotland Act. They also reviewed and updated the information presented in the Hate Crime in Scotland annual reports.

What are the next steps?

In addition to the Section 15 reporting requirements, Section 14 of the Act requires Ministers to publish an annual report on hate crime convictions. This includes data that will be available through an existing statistical collection, and new data (on convictions by the specific prejudice shown by offenders) for which a delivery mechanism is still to be identified. The first report (which will align with the 2024-25 Criminal Proceedings Official Statistics) is due late 2026, and we will continue to work with justice partners to deliver this aspect of the legislation.

Following the first publication on police recorded hate crime, Scottish Government and partners will collectively review the findings and share these with communities, including explaining how the importance of having accurate data and how we will use it to help tackle hate crime.

The provision to publish more information about police recorded hate crime and with greater detail where known was included following engagement with BEMIS Scotland and civic society organisations and in response to the 2016 recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). We hope that over time, improved data will help to inform more effective non-judicial interventions in education and community cohesion, reduce unnecessary interaction with the justice system, and contribute to fewer victims of hate crime.

Notwithstanding the progress achieved to date, implementation is not yet as advanced at this point as envisaged when the delivery plan was published in 2023. This position reflects the complexities associated with commencing legislation and undertaking system changes required to support high quality, accurate data collection.