Shoplifting convictions in England and Wales have reached an eight-year high, with new Ministry of Justice figures showing 44,701 convictions in the year to June 2025, up 25% from 35,701 the previous year. This is the highest total since the year to June 2017, when there were 53,590 convictions, and more than double the 19,233 recorded in the year to June 2022.
The age profile of those found guilty has shifted noticeably towards older groups. In the year to June 2018, 40-59 year-olds accounted for 30% of shoplifting convictions; by the latest period, that figure had risen to 39%. Meanwhile, the proportion of convicted offenders under 30 fell from 27% to 19%, with children under 18 making up just 2% of the total, down from 3%.
The Ministry of Justice data also shows 44,363 sentencings for shoplifting in the year to June, up 26% year-on-year and the highest for seven years. The average custodial sentence reached 2.4 months, the longest since comparable records began in 2016, when it stood at 1.7 months.
Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics, published on Thursday, recorded 529,994 shoplifting offences in England and Wales in the year to June, slightly below the record 530,439 offences logged in the year to March 2025.
Home Office Crime and Policing minister Sarah Jones said the levels of shop theft inherited by the Government are “utterly unacceptable”. She added: “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) argued the true scale of retail crime is “far greater” than official figures suggest, with its own survey indicating 91% of physical abuse incidents and 47% of thefts go unreported. Chief executive Andrew Goodacre welcomed the Government’s commitment to additional officers and measures in the Crime and Policing Bill, but urged swift implementation of the “Winter of Action” and consistent police response standards across all forces.
