Homicide In Scotland, 2023-24

29th October 2024

Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Homicide in Scotland, 2023-24. The publication provides information on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2023-24. The main findings are:

In 2023-24, 57 victims of homicide were recorded, 10% (or five victims) more than the 52 victims recorded in 2022-23.

Over the latest 10 year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24, the number of victims fell by 10% (six victims) from 63 to 57.

Over the latest 20 year period from 2004-05 to 2023-24, the number of homicide victims in Scotland fell by 58% (or 80 victims) from 137 to 57.

The greatest reduction in homicide victims over the last 20 years has been amongst young people aged 16-24. In the five years between 2004-05 to 2008-09 there were 125 victims in this age range. This dropped to 29 across the latest five years between 2019-20 to 2023-24.

Of the 57 victims recorded in 2023-24, 77% (44) were male and 23% (13) were female.

In 2023-24, 85 persons were accused of homicide, of which 81% (69) were male and 19% (16) were female. For all the 57 homicide victims recorded in 2023-24, the associated case was solved.

For each of the last 20 years, the most common method of killing was with a sharp instrument. In 2023-24, a sharp instrument was the main method of killing for 49% (or 28) of homicide victims.

For the latest year of 2023-24, the majority (64%) of male victims were killed by an acquaintance (28 of 44 male victims). Female victims were most likely to be killed by a partner or ex-partner (38%, or five of 13 female victims).

Whilst most recorded incidents of homicide in these statistics have one victim and one accused, some incidents can have multiple victims and/or accused. There were 57 homicide incidents recorded in 2023-24, 12% (or six incidents) more than the 51 recorded in 2022-23.