WIREDGOV

An Accredited Official Statistics Publication for Scotland.

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today published Homicide in Scotland, 2025-26. The publication provides information on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2025-26. The main findings are:

In 2025-26, 56 victims of homicide were recorded, 19% (or nine victims) more than the 47 victims recorded in 2024-25. This is the fourth lowest number of recorded homicide victims since comparable records began in 1976.

Over the latest 10 year period from 2016-17 to 2025-26, the number of victims fell by 14% (nine victims) from 65 to 56.

Over the latest 20 year period from 2006-07 to 2025-26, the number of homicide victims in Scotland fell by 54% (or 65 victims) from 121 to 56.

The greatest reduction in homicide victims over the last 20 years has been amongst young people aged 16-24. In the five years between 2006-07 to 2010-11 there were 113 victims in this age range. This dropped to 28 across the latest five years between 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Of the 56 victims recorded in 2025-26, 73% (41) were male and 27% (15) were female.

In 2025-26, 81 persons were accused of homicide, of which 93% (75) were male and 7% (six) were female. For all the 56 homicide victims recorded in 2025-26, the associated case was solved.

For each of the last 20 years, the most common method of killing was with a sharp instrument. In 2025-26, a sharp instrument was the main method of killing for 52% (or 29) of homicide victims.

For the latest year of 2025-26, the majority (66%) of male victims were killed by an acquaintance (27 of 41 male victims). The majority of female victims were killed by a partner or ex-partner (67%, or 10 of 15 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. In 2025-26, there were no incidents with more than one victim.

Background

1. Homicide in Scotland 2025-26 
2. The term “sharp instrument” includes knives, broken bottles, swords, sharpened screwdrivers and any other pointed or edged weapons.
3. Further information on Crime and Justice statistics 
4. Accredited Official Statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of accredited official statistics