- Shoplifting hits record high with over 500,000 offences recorded last year
- Average number of repeat offences nearly doubles from 5 to over 9 per reoffender
- “Broken high streets” inquiry backed by former Cabinet minister Sir Iain Duncan Smith finds that just one in five shoplifting offences results in a charge or court summons
The shoplifting crisis is getting worse due to spiralling numbers of reoffenders, new figures reveal.
Official data released following a parliamentary question by Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP show that 67 per cent of shoplifting offenders go on to commit another offence within 12 months. This compares to 55 per cent before the pandemic.
Analysis of the figures by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) reveals that the average number of offences committed by shoplifters has nearly doubled in five years, rising from 5.5 to 9.1 offences per convicted shoplifter.
In total, convicted shoplifters were responsible for over 131,000 reoffences in the most recent data (2023-24) – up 66 per cent on the previous year – pointing to a growing scourge of career criminals driving crime on Britain’s high streets.
The CSJ also warns that these figures are only the tip of the iceberg. Just one in five (20 per cent) shoplifting offences resulted in a charge or court summons in 2024-25, meaning the vast majority of thieves face no formal consequences.
This comes as shoplifting reached a record high in England and Wales last year, with over 530,000 police recorded offences from April 2024 to March 2025 – a 48 per cent increase since before the pandemic. Retailers estimate the true figure to be many times over due to low levels of reporting.
The findings are presented as part of a new CSJ inquiry seeking to repair Britain’s “broken high streets”, with researchers identifying a growing link between soaring shoplifting and the spread of “dodgy vape shops and mini-marts” operating as fronts for illegal activity.
Evidence from retailers suggests that shoplifting is becoming increasingly organised, with stolen goods frequently resold locally to fund wider criminal enterprises. One in four independent retailers report seeing goods stolen from their shops being resold in their area.
Polling suggests crime and local safety will be an important battleground in the forthcoming local elections. A recent survey by IPSOS found one in three Britons say crime and policing is a key issue influencing how they vote, with nearly nine in ten believing crime and anti-social behaviour to be a serious problem.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, Chairman of the CSJ, said:
“Communities across Britain are suffering from a high street crime wave. Set against years of economic difficulties, there is a risk that some of our town and city centres are left permanently hollowed out.
“In my own constituency of Chingford and Woodford Green, rising levels of shoplifting point to a broader social breakdown that is fuelling crime. I have been working closely with local shopkeepers to tackle offending on our high streets. Shoplifting is not a victimless crime.
“There must be zero tolerance for criminals who target shopkeepers and undermine our local communities. Addressing this, and the felt lack of consequence for committing crime in Britain today, should be at the heart of the government’s upcoming High Street Strategy.”
Josh Nicholson, Head of Housing and Communities at the Centre for Social Justice, said:
“It is a national scandal that people across Britain no longer feel safe on their own high streets. Out of control shoplifting, anti-social behaviour, and dodgy shops are driving people away and pushing legitimate businesses to the brink.
“There is no route to high street renewal without cracking down on the criminals running riot across our communities. The upcoming high streets strategy will only succeed if the government can restore security to our town and city centres.”
If you would like to submit to the Broken High Street inquiry’s call for evidence, please get in touch here.
NOTES TO EDITORS
A spokesperson is available for interview
Table 1. Reoffending rate for adult offenders (shop lifting)
| Apr 2019-Mar 2020 | Apr 2020-Mar 2021 | Apr 2021-Mar 2022 | Apr 2022-Mar 2023 | Apr 2023-Mar 2024 | |
| Shop Lifting | |||||
| Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%) | 55.3 | 54.4 | 60.7 | 63.8 | 66.8 |
| Average number of reoffences per reoffender | 5.49 | 5.77 | 6.44 | 7.33 | 9.12 |
| Number of reoffences | 83,917 | 48,692 | 58,242 | 78,907 | 131,282 |
| Number of reoffenders | 15,277 | 8,437 | 9,045 | 10,758 | 14,396 |
| Number of offenders in cohort | 27,621 | 15,504 | 14,908 | 16,850 | 21,545 |
Source: Ministry of Justice, 2026