Recorded Crime in Scotland: year ending September 2025

Key points

The police in Scotland recorded 305,925 crimes in the year ending September 2025. This was 2% higher than the 300,136 crimes recorded in the year ending September 2024, and 3% higher than the 297,712 crimes recorded in the year ending September 2021.

It should be noted that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and associated measures to limit social contact, had an impact on both the type and volume of crime recorded between March 2020 and the lifting of final legal restrictions in April 2022. Within this bulletin, the impact can be seen in year ending September 2021.

In the year ending September 2025:

• Non-sexual crimes of violence were 3% higher compared to the year ending September 2024 (increasing from 71,004 to 73,033 crimes), and 14% higher compared to the year ending September 2021 (increasing from 64,147 to 73,033 crimes).
• Sexual crimes were 7% higher compared to the year ending September 2024 (increasing from 14,651 to 15,704 crimes), and 12% higher compared to the year ending September 2021 (increasing from 14,052 to 15,704 crimes).
• Crimes of dishonesty were <1% higher compared to the year ending September 2024 (increasing from 112,324 to 112,830 crimes), and 26% higher compared to the year ending September 2021 (increasing from 89,385 to 112,830 crimes).
• Damage and reckless behaviour was 4% lower compared to the year ending September 2024 (decreasing from 40,011 to 38,569 crimes), and 12% lower compared to the year ending September 2021 (decreasing from 43,831 to 38,569 crimes).
• Crimes against society were 6% higher compared to the year ending September 2024 (increasing from 62,146 to 65,789 crimes), but 1% lower compared to the year ending September 2021 (decreasing from 66,436 to 65,789 crimes).

The number of offences recorded by the police in Scotland in the year ending September 2025 was 189,019. This is 3% higher than the 184,084 offences recorded in the year ending September 2024, and 2% higher than the 185,863 offences recorded in the year ending September 2021.

• Antisocial offences were 4% higher compared to the year ending September 2024 (increasing from 49,609 to 51,804 offences), but 7% lower compared to the year ending September 2021 (decreasing from 55,517 to 51,804 offences).
• Miscellaneous offences were 1% lower compared to the year ending September 2024 (decreasing from 14,200 to 14,038 offences), but 7% higher compared to the year ending September 2021 (increasing from 13,118 to 14,038 offences).
• Road traffic offences were 2% higher compared to the year ending September 2024 (increasing from 120,275 to 123,177 offences), and 5% higher compared to the year ending September 2021 (increasing from 117,228 to 123,177 offences).