The number of shop thefts recorded by police in England and Wales has reached a new high, with 529,994 incidents tallied by the Office for National Statistics over the 12 months to June 2025.
The latest Crime Survey for England and Wales, published today (23 October 2025), shows that there were 529,994 recorded shoplifting offences in the 12 months to June 2025, compared to 469,698 the previous year — an increase of 13%.
The last ONS publication on shop theft earlier this year reported a 12-month rise of 20%, suggesting that while the number of offences is still climbing, the rate of increase may be slowing. However, the total remains the highest-ever figure since current recording practices began in 2003.
Figures from the 2025 ACS Crime Report show that convenience retailers alone recorded over 6.2 million incidents of theft over the past year, highlighting a significant gap between what is happening on the ground and what is being officially recorded.
According to Scottish Government statistics published on 26 August, reported shoplifting north of the border rose by 17% year on year, increasing from 40,554 to 47,381 crimes.
Association of Convenience Stores Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Tackling theft remains the top priority issue for the convenience sector and we continue to encourage retailers to report incidents when they occur. While shocking, the latest record figures from the ONS show that more reporting of crime is happening and the gap between what the police record and what happens is starting to close.”
The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has repeated calls for government grants to boost security measures for smaller stores, following the news.
The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said: “For years we have called on the government to provide grants for small retail business to help increase their security through improved CCTV. This would act as a deterrent to potential thieves and give store owners the ability to provide solid evidence to catch and punish the perpetrators.”
