Shoplifting convictions in England and Wales hit eight-year high

Convictions for shoplifting in England and Wales have hit an eight-year high, with people in their 40s and 50s making up a growing proportion of those found guilty.

There were 44,701 convictions for a principal offence of shoplifting at criminal courts in the year to June 2025, up 25% from 35,701 in the previous 12 months, according to new figures from the Ministry of Justice.

This is the highest total since the year to June 2017, when the number stood at 53,590.

It is also more than double the convictions in the year to June 2022, which was 19,233.

Analysis by the PA news agency shows the age profile of shoplifting offenders has shifted in recent years towards older groups.

In the 12 months to June 2018, the first period for which a full breakdown of age groups is available, 40-59 year-olds accounted for 30% of convictions where shoplifting was the principal offence.

By the latest period, the year to June 2025, this had risen to 39%.

At the same time, the proportion of convicted offenders under 30 has fallen from 27% to 19%.

Among this group, children under 18 made up 2% of convictions in the latest year, down from 3% in 2018; 18-24 year-olds made up 7%, down from 10%; and 25-29 year-olds made up 10%, down from 14%.

The figure for 30-39 year-olds has remained broadly level, at around 40% of convictions, while people aged 60 and over make up around 1% of the total.

The majority of people found guilty of shoplifting continue to be male, at nearly three-quarters of convictions, while females make up just under a quarter.

The Ministry of Justice data also shows there were 44,363 sentencings for a principal offence of shoplifting at criminal courts in England and Wales in the year to June, up 26% on the previous 12 months and the highest for seven years.

The average length of a custodial sentence was 2.4 months, the highest since current data began in 2016, when it was 1.7 months.

Separate figures published on Thursday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show there were 529,994 shoplifting offences recorded by police forces in England and Wales in the year to June.

This is up 13% from 469,698 in the previous year.

It is not quite the highest ever figure for a 12-month period; a slightly higher total of 530,439 offences were recorded in the year to March 2025.

Sarah Jones, Home Office Crime and Policing minister, said: “We know that the levels of shop theft and street crime that this Government has inherited are utterly unacceptable.

“That is why we are putting 3,000 new neighbourhood officers on the beat to fight crime, catch criminals and protect communities as part of our Plan for Change.”

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) said the true scale of retail crime is “far greater” than official figures suggest, pointing to its own twice-yearly crime survey that suggests 91% of physical abuse incidents and 47% of thefts go unreported because retailers have “lost faith in the police response”.

Andrew Goodacre, Bira chief executive, said: “We welcome the Government’s commitment to 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers by March 2026 and the Crime and Policing Bill measures, including ending the £200 theft loophole and creating a new offence for assaulting retail workers.

“However, we urge swift implementation of the Government’s Winter of Action – the renewed focus on tackling shop theft in town centres following the summer crime blitz – and call for consistent police response standards across all forces.

“We would also like to see greater use of community behaviour orders in order to deal with the perennial offenders.

“Independent retailers are the backbone of our high streets and need visible support now to protect their businesses, their staff, and their livelihoods.”