Glasgow named 'most dangerous' area of Scotland in 2024 according to new study

Glasgow City has been named the "most dangerous" area of Scotland in new research investigating crime rates across the country.

Security service company Churchill Support Services has published its yearly report on the Scottish regions where crime rates are highest, using statistics from the Scottish Police data repository.

According to the research, Glasgow City is at the top of the list for "most dangerous" in 2024. With an overall crime rate of 1,251 per 10,000 people, the country's biggest city rose one spot compared to last year.

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Glasgow had the highest figures of dishonesty (17,971 incidents), road traffic offences (16,906 incidents) and crimes against society (12,196 incidents).

Coming in second place, down one spot after topping the list last year, is Dundee City. According to the experts, Dundee has an overall crime rate of 1,152 crimes per 10,000 residents.

Although the city's overall rate of crime has fallen since 2023, the experts noted that it "still has major issues across the board". Looking at specific crimes, Dundee has seen 5,383 crimes of dishonesty, 2,853 incidents of violent crime, and 315 incidents of motor vehicle theft.

Following behind in third place on the list is West Dunbartonshire, which rose one spot compared with the previous year. According to the security firm, the council area reported an overall crime rate of 1,100 per 10,000 people — an increase of 3 per cent.

The experts state that road traffic offences are the biggest issue in West Dunbartonshire, with 3,070 incidents reported. Meanwhile, the area is also dealing with increasing rates of crimes of dishonesty and crimes against society, with 1,488 and 1,386 incidents respectively.

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Rounding out the top five "most dangerous" areas in Scotland are Dumfries and Galloway and Aberdeen City, with overall crime rates of 1,093 and 945 per 10,000 residents. The former fell one spot on the list compared with last year, while Aberdeen remains unchanged at number five.

Elsewhere, both North Lanarkshire and the City of Edinburgh are unmoved at numbers six and seven — with crime rates of 898 and 877 per 10,000 residents. However, with an overall rate of 835 crimes per 10,000 people, Fife is a new entry at number eight.

Following in ninth place is another new entry, with North Ayrshire having an overall crime rate of 833 per 10,000 residents according to Churchill Support Services. Finally, East Ayrshire rounds out the list at number 10 with 816 crimes per 10,000 people.

Commenting on Glasgow's position as the "most dangerous", Churchill Support Services said: "Unsurprisingly, Glasgow’s seen startling figures across the board, with the overall crime figures rising by 2.6 per cent compared with last year's statistics. We’ve witnessed astronomical numbers in many of Scotland’s prevalent issues, including the country’s highest figures in crimes of dishonesty (17,971 incidents), road traffic offences (16,906 incidents) and crimes against society (12,196 incidents)."

Scotland's 10 'most dangerous' areas

1. Glasgow City

2. Dundee City

3. West Dunbartonshire

4. Dumfries & Galloway

5. Aberdeen City

6. North Lanarkshire

7. City of Edinburgh

8. Fife

9. North Ayrshire

10. East Ayrshire

Churchill Support Services used statistics directly from the Scottish Police data repository to put together their list. It then expressed this as a ratio of the number of crimes per 10,000 residents, allowing them to take into account factors such as area size and population.

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