Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2024-25

Official Statistics on clear up rates

This section presents statistics on recorded crime clear up rates in Scotland during 2024-25. Whereas the rest of this bulletin presents recorded crime statistics that have been produced as Accredited Official Statistics, these clear up rate statistics remain published as Official Statistics.

A crime or offence is regarded as cleared up where there exists a sufficiency of evidence under Scots law to justify consideration of criminal proceedings notwithstanding that a report is not submitted to the procurator fiscal because either:

(i) by standing agreement with the procurator fiscal, the police warn the accused due to the minor nature of the offence, or

(ii) reporting is inappropriate due to the non-age of the accused, death of the accused or other similar circumstances.

Clear up rates are calculated as follows:

Clear up rates presented are rounded to one decimal place.

Because crimes or offences may be cleared up in a different year than they were recorded, rates in excess of 100% can arise.

Clear up rates for both the Coronavirus restrictions crimes group and Road traffic offences group are not included in this bulletin, as by their nature both typically involve criminality in which the offender is ‘caught in the act’. Further to this, it has not been possible to obtain clear up rate information for the Coronavirus restrictions group, due to the separate and bespoke data collection used by Police Scotland. Further detail on clear up rates by groups and categories is available from the 'Supporting documents' Excel workbook (Table 3).

More information on clear up rates is available in the User Guide.

Total recorded crime

In 2024-25 the clear up rate was 56.0%, up from 54.1% in 2023-24.

The large decrease seen between 2020-21 and 2021-22 likely reflected the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the types of crime recorded, with the volume of those crimes that have relatively lower clear up rates falling more sharply in 2020-21 than those with relatively higher clear up rates. The fall to 54.0% in 2021-22 from 59.3% in 2020-21 reflected a partial return to the volume of different crime types recorded prior to the pandemic (2019-20).

Crimes against society (93.8%), Non-sexual crimes of violence (68.4%) and Sexual crime (56.9%) continued to have higher clear up rates in 2024-25 than Crimes of dishonesty (35.1%) and Damage and reckless behaviour (31.0%).

Prior to 2020-21, clear up rates had been relatively stable over the last decade following a generally upward trend since 1976, the first year for which comparable clear up rates are available, as shown by Figure 25 below.

Figure 25. Clear up rate for total recorded crime in Scotland has generally increased over the years.

Clear up rate for total recorded crime, Scotland, 1976 to 1994, 1995-96 to 2024-25.

Figure 26 below shows the clear up rates by crime group from 1976 onwards.

Figure 26. Crimes against society has had the highest clear up rate in each year since 1976.

Clear up rates for crimes recorded by the police by crime group, Scotland, 1976 to 1994, 1995-96 to 2024-25.

Non-sexual crimes of violence

The clear up rate for Non-sexual crimes of violence increased from 68.0% in 2023-24 to 68.4% in 2024-25.

Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, the category with the largest increase was Other non-sexual violence, from 40.7% to 49.0%. Death by dangerous driving had the largest decrease, from 102.4% to 93.9%. Clear up rates increased in three out of seven categories, while four decreased.

Sexual crimes

The clear up rate for Sexual crimes decreased from 57.2% in 2023-24 to 56.9% in 2024-25.

Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, the category with the largest increase was Threatening to or disclosing intimate images, from 38.4% to 41.3%. Sexual assault had the largest decrease, from 57.3% to 55.3%. Clear up rates increased for six out of eight categories, while two decreased.

Crimes of dishonesty

The clear up rate for Crimes of dishonesty increased from 33.1% in 2023-24 to 35.1% in 2024-25.

Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, the category with the largest increase was Housebreaking, with the clear up rate increasing from 27.6% to 32.0%. Shoplifting had the largest decrease, from 50.3% to 49.0%. Clear up rates increased for seven out of eight categories, while one decreased.

Damage and reckless behaviour

The clear up rate for Damage and reckless behaviour increased from 29.6% in 2023-24 to 31.0% in 2024-25.

Damage and reckless behaviour consistently has the lowest clear up rate of the five crime groups. However, despite the decrease in 2021-22, which remained unchanged in 2022-23, there were year-on-year increases between 2015-16 and 2020-21.

Between 2023-24 and 2025-25, clear up rates in all three categories increased.

Crimes against society

The clear up rate for Crimes against society increased from 91.4% in 2023-24 to 93.8% in 2024-25.

Clear up rates for Crimes against society have always been the highest of all groups, as many of the contributing categories (though not all) relate to criminality for which someone is generally ‘caught in the act’ (for example Drugs – Possession). An example of where this is not the case would be the Weapons Possession (used) category, where earlier Scottish Government research in to handling offensive weapons suggested the clear majority of crimes were recorded following a victim or witness report to the police.

Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, the category with the largest increase was Drugs - Possession, with the clear up rate increasing from 94.2% to 101.7%. Other crimes against society had the largest decrease, from 102.6% to 88.9%. Clear up rates increased for four out of six categories, while two decreased.