Shoplifting convictions and sentencings in England and Wales have surged to their highest levels in nearly a decade, according to newly released figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). There were 48,849 convictions for a principal offence of shoplifting at criminal courts last year, marking a 19% increase from 41,014 in 2024. This is the highest total since 2017, when 49,434 convictions were recorded.
Shifting Age Profile of Shoplifting Offenders
Analysis by the Press Association reveals a notable shift in the age demographics of those convicted of shoplifting. In 2017, individuals aged 40 to 59 accounted for 29% of convictions where shoplifting was the principal offence. By 2025, this proportion had risen to 41%, indicating a growing involvement of older age groups. Conversely, the share of convicted offenders under the age of 30 has declined from 28% in 2017 to 18% last year.
Breaking down the under-30 category, children under 18 represented 2% of convictions in 2025, down from 3% in 2017. The 18 to 24 age group fell from 11% to 7%, while 25 to 29 year olds dropped from 15% to 10%. The proportion of 30 to 39 year olds has remained relatively stable over the period, hovering around 40% of convictions. Those aged 60 and over accounted for 1% of the total.
Sentencing Trends
The MoJ data also shows 48,517 sentencings for a principal offence of shoplifting in 2025, up 19% from 40,609 in 2024 and the highest since 2017. The average custodial sentence length reached 2.4 months, the highest on record since 2017, when it stood at 1.8 months.
Police-Recorded Offences and Recording Changes
Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate a slight decrease in police-recorded shoplifting offences in England and Wales, from 516,611 in 2024 to 509,566 in 2025. This drop may be attributed to a change in recording practices. A Home Office clarification issued in April 2025 instructed forces that incidents where an individual enters a retail premises, steals, and then uses or threatens violence against staff or others should be recorded as robbery of business property, not shoplifting.
This change likely contributed to a 78% surge in offences classified as robbery of businesses, which rose from 14,691 in 2024 to 26,158 in 2025.
Government Response
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently addressed the issue, suggesting that “the tide could be turning” against shoplifting. In a speech to the Usdaw shopworkers’ union, he highlighted government efforts to combat retail crime, including deploying an extra 3,000 neighbourhood police officers and eliminating the rule that left theft of goods under £200 “not properly investigated”. He also noted the introduction of stronger police powers, making the abuse and assault of retail workers a specific criminal offence, and extending protections equivalent to those for emergency workers.
