More than 9,000 hate crimes recorded in Scotland during first year of new law

More than 9,000 hate crimes have been recorded during the first year of a new bill introduced by the Scottish Government.

The Hate Crime and Public Order Act was introduced in April 2024 and took the law against the stirring up of racial hatred and extended that protection to other groups.

Those characteristics included disability, religion, sexual orientation, age, transgender identity and variations in sex characteristics.

A consultation on the Scottish Government’s draft regulations, which add women and girls as a protected characteristic under the hate crime bill, has also begun.

From April 2024 to March 2025, officers recorded 9,342 hate crimes, a 37% increase from the same period a year prior.

In the month before the new act was introduced, 515 hate crimes were recorded. This rose to 901 in April and spiked at 950 in May.

The introduction of the new legislation contributed to police-recorded hate crimes hitting a five-year high in 2024.

Officers were notified of 8,816 crimes against those with protected characteristics, including race, sexuality, gender, religion, disability, age and variations in sex, throughout last year.

Overall, there was more than a 30% increase in reported hate crimes compared to 2023, which had a total of 6,743.

Almost 60% of the hate crimes recorded in 2024 were race-related, with 1,953 of the crimes related to gender or sexual orientation.

Between January and June of this year, there has been 5,535 recorded hate crimes, which is almost a quarter more than the same period in 2024.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Hate crime has no place in our society. It will not be tolerated and targeting anyone because of who they are is deplorable. Everyone has a right to live safely as their true and authentic selves, without fear of prejudice.

“Continuing to tackle hate crime remains a priority for Police Scotland officers and we treat people who bravely come forward with sensitivity, respect and dignity. We also offer further support to victims of crime through referrals to our partners.

“We understand it can be hard for people to report a hate crime, and in some cases to even recognise or acknowledge that they have been a victim. Some people have been exposed to hate crimes for weeks, months or even years before they are able to report.

“Anyone who has been a victim of hate crime should report it to Police Scotland and every complaint will be professionally and robustly investigated.”

The Scottish Government says the five-year-high shows the the introduction of the new hate crime bill was needed.

A spokesperson said: “This shows why there is a need for strong legislation and the need for the Hate Crime Act which provides greater protection for victims.

“The legislation holds to account those who commit criminal acts fuelled by hatred based on prejudice towards a person based on, for example, a person’s race, age or disability.

“We continue to encourage anyone who experiences or witnesses hate crime to report it directly to the police or by using a third party reporting centre.”