A report on Hate Crime in Scotland 2021-22 was published today. This brings together figures on race crime and on crime motivated by prejudice related to religion, disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity.
The main findings are:
- There were 5,640 charges containing at least one element of hate crime reported to COPFS in 2021-22, a marginal decrease of -0.2% compared to 2020-21.
- The majority of hate crime charges contain a racial element. However, the proportion that contain a racial element has generally decreased over the last ten years, from 75% in 2012-13 to 55% in 2021-22. The proportion of hate crime charges that relate to sexual orientation has increased from 13% to 32% over the same period. In 2021-22 for the first time the proportion relating to disability (12%) was higher than the proportion relating to religion (9%).
- There were 3,107 charges relating to race crime reported in 2021-22, a decrease of 7% compared to 2020-21. Numbers have fluctuated in recent years but are currently 32% lower than the peak in such charges in 2011-12, when 4,547 were reported.
- The number of charges reported with a sexual orientation aggravation increased by 10% in 2021-22 to 1,781, continuing the upward trend of the last ten years.
- The number of disability aggravated charges increased by 44% to 666 in 2021-22, also continuing the upward trend of the last ten years.
- There were 512 charges with a religious aggravation reported in 2021-22, 16% fewer than in 2020-21. This is the lowest number of charges containing a religious element since 2004-05, when 479 charges were reported.
- There were 84 charges reported in 2021-22 with an aggravation of transgender identity. This compares to 45 in 2020-21, an increase of 87%. This is the highest number of such charges reported since the legislation introducing this aggravation came into force in 2010.