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Publication - Statistics

Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2024-25

Published
24 June 2025
From
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, +2 more … Chief Statistician, Director of Safer Communities
Directorate
Justice Directorate, +1 more … Safer Communities Directorate
Topic
Law and order

Statistics on crimes and offences recorded and cleared up by the police in Scotland in 2024-25, split by crime or offence group and by local authority.

Part of

Supporting documents

Miscellaneous offences

Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, the number of Miscellaneous offences recorded by the police in Scotland increased by 1% from 13,823 to 13,985. In the last 10 years, the number of Miscellaneous offences has increased by 4% from 13,412 in 2015-16 to 13,985 in 2024-25.

The national rate of recorded Miscellaneous offences was 25 offences per 10,000 population in 2024-25. This has remained unchanged from both 2023-24 and 2015-16.

In 2024-25, of all Miscellaneous offences:

  • Community and public order offences accounted for the majority (72%)
  • Environmental offences accounted for 4%
  • Licensing offences accounted for 6%
  • Wildlife offences accounted for 11%
  • Other miscellaneous offences accounted for 7%

Figure 23 below presents the offence categories within Miscellaneous offences over the latest 10 years and gives an indication of the trend and scale of each category.

Figure 23. The increase in recorded Community and public order offences has driven the increase in Miscellaneous offences since 2015-16.

Miscellaneous offences recorded by the police, by category, Scotland, 2015-16 to 2024-25.

Line chart showing that Community and public order offences make up the majority of Miscellaneous offences and have been on an upward trend since 2018-19.

Community and public order offences

Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, recorded Community and public order offences increased by 3% from 9,753  to 10,032 offences. There was a 18% increase over the 10 year period between 2015-16 and 2024-25, from 8,519 to 10,032 offences.

The Community and public order offences category includes a wide range of offences. The main ones are General post office/telecommunications offences (which account for the clear majority of the category, at 82%), Computer Misuse Act 1990 – unauthorised access only (7%), False or hoax calls to emergency services (4%) and Public utilities (gas electricity etc) legislation (3%).

The increase in this category from 2023-24 to 2024-25 was driven by increases in Computer Misuse Act 1990 - unauthorised access only (up 7%) and Public utilities (gas electricity etc) legislation (up 3%), whereas the increase since 2015-16 has been driven by a 28% increase in General post office/telecommunications offences from 6,422 offences in 2015-16 to 8,214 offences in 2024-25.

Contact

Email: Justice_Analysts@gov.scot

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