Publication - Statistics
Recorded Crime in Scotland: May 2021
Official Statistics on crimes and offences recorded by the police in Scotland for May 2021.
This document is part of a collection
Tables
Table 1: Crimes recorded by the police, Scotland, May 2019, 2020 and 2021 12
Table 2: Offences recorded by the police, Scotland, May 2019, 2020 and 2021 13
Table 3: Crimes recorded by the police by local authority, Scotland, May 2019, 2020 and 2021 14
Notes for these tables
- The symbol ‘n/r’ is used to denote where a percentage change figure is not reported. This is done if the denominator is less than ten as any resulting figure may be misleading.
- Please note that tables 1, 2, 4 and 5 can be accessed at local authority level online via the following link: Recorded Crime in Scotland: May 2021
| Crime group | May 2019 | May 2020 | May 2021 | % change since May 2020 | % change since May 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total crimes1 | 21,722 | 20,587 | 19,376 | -6% | -11% |
| Non-sexual crimes of violence | 787 | 744 | 805 | 8% | 2% |
| Homicide etc. | 12 | 8 | 7 | n/r | -42% |
| Attempted murder & serious assault | 363 | 310 | 304 | -2% | -16% |
| Robbery | 120 | 139 | 148 | 6% | 23% |
| Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 | 157 | 138 | 132 | -4% | -16% |
| Other violence | 135 | 149 | 214 | 44% | 59% |
| Sexual crimes | 1,280 | 942 | 1,259 | 34% | -2% |
| Rape & attempted rape | 229 | 153 | 206 | 35% | -10% |
| Sexual assault | 478 | 265 | 411 | 55% | -14% |
| Crimes associated with prostitution | 4 | 2 | 6 | n/r | n/r |
| Other sexual crimes | 569 | 522 | 636 | 22% | 12% |
| Crimes of dishonesty | 9,508 | 8,436 | 7,800 | -8% | -18% |
| Housebreaking | 1,041 | 947 | 663 | -30% | -36% |
| Theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) | 125 | 95 | 117 | 23% | -6% |
| Theft from a motor vehicle by OLP | 231 | 231 | 151 | -35% | -35% |
| Theft of a motor vehicle | 436 | 397 | 379 | -5% | -13% |
| Shoplifting | 2,745 | 1,788 | 1,859 | 4% | -32% |
| Other theft | 3,672 | 2,998 | 2,673 | -11% | -27% |
| Fraud | 837 | 1,441 | 1,549 | 7% | 85% |
| Other dishonesty | 421 | 539 | 409 | -24% | -3% |
| Fire-raising, vandalism etc. | 4,286 | 3,324 | 3,757 | 13% | -12% |
| Fire-raising | 299 | 237 | 207 | -13% | -31% |
| Vandalism etc. | 3,987 | 3,087 | 3,550 | 15% | -11% |
| Other crimes | 5,861 | 7,141 | 5,755 | -19% | -2% |
| Crimes against public justice | 1,610 | 2,445 | 2,015 | -18% | 25% |
| Handling offensive weapons | 853 | 898 | 955 | 6% | 12% |
| Not used in other criminal activity | 392 | 414 | 413 | 0% | 5% |
| Used in other criminal activity | 461 | 484 | 542 | 12% | 18% |
| Drugs | 3,373 | 3,788 | 2,774 | -27% | -18% |
| Other | 25 | 10 | 11 | 10% | -56% |
1. The total figure for recorded crime excludes the new crimes being recorded under the recently enacted coronavirus legislation. Please see the Crimes recorded under coronavirus legislation section for more information.
| Crime group | May 2019 | May 2020 | May 2021 | % change since May 2020 | % change since May 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total offences | 22,121 | 21,069 | 21,047 | 0% | -5% |
| Miscellaneous offences | 11,507 | 11,458 | 11,344 | -1% | -1% |
| Common assault | 5,083 | 4,435 | 5,007 | 13% | -1% |
| Breach of the peace etc. | 4,485 | 4,811 | 4,428 | -8% | -1% |
| Drunkenness and other disorderly conduct | 553 | 694 | 505 | -27% | -9% |
| Urinating etc. | 190 | 68 | 86 | 26% | -55% |
| Other miscellaneous offences | 1,196 | 1,450 | 1,318 | -9% | 10% |
| Motor vehicle offences | 10,614 | 9,611 | 9,703 | 1% | -9% |
| Dangerous and careless driving | 966 | 935 | 1,040 | 11% | 8% |
| Driving under the influence | 509 | 774 | 693 | -10% | 36% |
| Speeding | 2,758 | 1,890 | 2,068 | 9% | -25% |
| Unlawful use of vehicle | 3,208 | 3,759 | 3,254 | -13% | 1% |
| Vehicle defect offences | 681 | 497 | 472 | -5% | -31% |
| Seat belt offences | 312 | 130 | 133 | 2% | -57% |
| Mobile phone offences | 255 | 161 | 134 | -17% | -47% |
| Other motor vehicle offences | 1,925 | 1,465 | 1,909 | 30% | -1% |
| May 2019 | May 2020 | May 2021 | % change since May 2020 | % change since May 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | 982 | 1,051 | 1,098 | 4% | 12% |
| Aberdeenshire | 660 | 544 | 629 | 16% | -5% |
| Angus | 310 | 268 | 314 | 17% | 1% |
| Argyll & Bute | 200 | 210 | 157 | -25% | -22% |
| Clackmannanshire | 179 | 226 | 194 | -14% | 8% |
| Dumfries & Galloway | 605 | 547 | 499 | -9% | -18% |
| Dundee City | 818 | 852 | 722 | -15% | -12% |
| East Ayrshire | 474 | 489 | 463 | -5% | -2% |
| East Dunbartonshire | 262 | 266 | 203 | -24% | -23% |
| East Lothian | 332 | 309 | 293 | -5% | -12% |
| East Renfrewshire | 175 | 184 | 131 | -29% | -25% |
| Edinburgh City | 2,790 | 2,231 | 2,155 | -3% | -23% |
| Falkirk | 639 | 608 | 555 | -9% | -13% |
| Fife | 1,258 | 1,183 | 1,256 | 6% | 0% |
| Glasgow City | 3,776 | 3,492 | 3,167 | -9% | -16% |
| Highland | 627 | 667 | 639 | -4% | 2% |
| Inverclyde | 325 | 319 | 292 | -8% | -10% |
| Midlothian | 358 | 275 | 299 | 9% | -16% |
| Moray | 239 | 211 | 256 | 21% | 7% |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar | 16 | 37 | 45 | 22% | 181% |
| North Ayrshire | 543 | 538 | 488 | -9% | -10% |
| North Lanarkshire | 1,603 | 1,562 | 1,358 | -13% | -15% |
| Orkney Islands | 30 | 27 | 22 | -19% | -27% |
| Perth & Kinross | 334 | 403 | 413 | 2% | 24% |
| Renfrewshire | 654 | 701 | 600 | -14% | -8% |
| Scottish Borders | 331 | 295 | 355 | 20% | 7% |
| Shetland Islands | 38 | 46 | 36 | -22% | -5% |
| South Ayrshire | 447 | 355 | 398 | 12% | -11% |
| South Lanarkshire | 1,259 | 1,381 | 1,115 | -19% | -11% |
| Stirling | 348 | 342 | 273 | -20% | -22% |
| West Dunbartonshire | 458 | 375 | 353 | -6% | -23% |
| West Lothian | 652 | 593 | 598 | 1% | -8% |
| Scotland1 | 21,722 | 20,587 | 19,376 | -6% | -11% |
1. The total figure for recorded crime excludes the new crimes being recorded under the recently enacted coronavirus legislation. Please see the Crimes recorded under coronavirus legislation section for more information.
| Crime group | April to May 2019 | April to May 2020 | April to May 2021 | % Change since 2020 | % Change since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total crimes1 | 42,716 | 37,758 | 38,723 | 3% | -9% |
| Non-sexual crimes of violence | 1,527 | 1,380 | 1,521 | 10% | 0% |
| Homicide etc. | 17 | 17 | 17 | 0% | 0% |
| Attempted murder & serious assault | 724 | 536 | 566 | 6% | -22% |
| Robbery | 256 | 278 | 271 | -3% | 6% |
| Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 | 283 | 247 | 269 | 9% | -5% |
| Other violence | 247 | 302 | 398 | 32% | 61% |
| Sexual crimes | 2,335 | 1,723 | 2,395 | 39% | 3% |
| Rape & attempted rape | 413 | 287 | 408 | 42% | -1% |
| Sexual assault | 884 | 485 | 783 | 61% | -11% |
| Crimes associated with prostitution | 8 | 4 | 14 | n/r | n/r |
| Other sexual crimes | 1,030 | 947 | 1,190 | 26% | 16% |
| Crimes of dishonesty | 18,967 | 15,613 | 15,445 | -1% | -19% |
| Housebreaking | 2,086 | 1,912 | 1,310 | -31% | -37% |
| Theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) | 263 | 178 | 220 | 24% | -16% |
| Theft from a motor vehicle by OLP | 495 | 496 | 318 | -36% | -36% |
| Theft of a motor vehicle | 843 | 794 | 726 | -9% | -14% |
| Shoplifting | 5,571 | 3,205 | 3,591 | 12% | -36% |
| Other theft | 7,222 | 5,513 | 5,256 | -5% | -27% |
| Fraud | 1,628 | 2,530 | 3,233 | 28% | 99% |
| Other dishonesty | 859 | 985 | 791 | -20% | -8% |
| Fire-raising, vandalism etc. | 8,519 | 6,472 | 7,486 | 16% | -12% |
| Fire-raising | 542 | 448 | 506 | 13% | -7% |
| Vandalism etc. | 7,977 | 6,024 | 6,980 | 16% | -12% |
| Other crimes | 11,368 | 12,570 | 11,876 | -6% | 4% |
| Crimes against public justice | 3,191 | 4,303 | 4,109 | -5% | 29% |
| Handling offensive weapons | 1,718 | 1,735 | 1,815 | 5% | 6% |
| Not used in other criminal activity | 801 | 862 | 814 | -6% | 2% |
| Used in other criminal activity | 917 | 873 | 1,001 | 15% | 9% |
| Drugs | 6,414 | 6,506 | 5,923 | -9% | -8% |
| Other | 45 | 26 | 29 | 12% | -36% |
1. The total figure for recorded crime excludes the new crimes being recorded under the recently enacted coronavirus legislation. Please see the Crimes recorded under coronavirus legislation section for more information.
| Crime group | April to May 2019 | April to May 2020 | April to May 2021 | % Change since 2020 | % Change since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total offences | 43,765 | 36,518 | 41,281 | 13% | -6% |
| Miscellaneous offences | 22,554 | 20,764 | 21,424 | 3% | -5% |
| Common assault | 9,917 | 8,113 | 9,117 | 12% | -8% |
| Breach of the peace etc. | 8,841 | 8,701 | 8,400 | -3% | -5% |
| Drunkenness and other disorderly conduct | 1,091 | 1,223 | 1,081 | -12% | -1% |
| Urinating etc. | 404 | 115 | 193 | 68% | -52% |
| Other miscellaneous offences | 2,301 | 2,612 | 2,633 | 1% | 14% |
| Motor vehicle offences | 21,211 | 15,754 | 19,857 | 26% | -6% |
| Dangerous and careless driving | 1,920 | 1,633 | 2,053 | 26% | 7% |
| Driving under the influence | 1,016 | 1,378 | 1,409 | 2% | 39% |
| Speeding | 5,613 | 2,391 | 4,316 | 81% | -23% |
| Unlawful use of vehicle | 6,384 | 6,506 | 6,940 | 7% | 9% |
| Vehicle defect offences | 1,296 | 767 | 1,026 | 34% | -21% |
| Seat belt offences | 596 | 214 | 284 | 33% | -52% |
| Mobile phone offences | 510 | 256 | 268 | 5% | -47% |
| Other motor vehicle offences | 3,876 | 2,609 | 3,561 | 36% | -8% |
Contact
Email: justice_analysts@gov.scot
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