ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ

Rape offences have increased dramatically in England and Wales since 2012/13, when there were around 16,400 offences. After this year, rape offences increased substantially, reaching a peak of 74,700 in 2025/26, the most recent reporting year. 

Similar patterns in Scotland and Northern Ireland

While there has also been an increase in the number of rape and attempted rape offences in Scotland, the increase has not been quite as steep, with offences reaching 2,897 in 2022/23 compared with 924 in 2002/03. In Northern Ireland there has been a sharp rise in overall sexual offences, rising from 1,438 in 2002/03, to 4,090 by 2023/24. This rise in overall sexual offences is also observable in Scotland, with 14,892 offences in 2024/25, compared with 6,623 in 2002/03. 

Explaining the increase

Although overall crime has shown a noticeable uptick recently, the rise in sexual offences has been much more pronounced. Rather than falling in the mid-2010s and then rising again towards the end of the decade, like overall crime, sexual offences remained at a relatively stable figure, until 2013/14 when it increased dramatically, a pattern mirrored in both Scotland and Northern Ireland. This is possibly due to better reporting practices by the police as well as an increasing willingness of victims to come forward, including historic victims of sexual violence.