Continuing lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to have contributed to sharp falls in Recorded Crime levels in Ireland in 2020.

The total number of recorded crimes in 2020 fell sharply in the categories of Burglary and related offences (down by 5,810, or 34.7%), Theft and related offences (down by 16,684, or 24.5%) and Robbery, extortion and hijacking offences (down by 536, or 22.9%), when compared with 2019. See Table 1.1.

There were also notable decreases in the numbers of recorded crime incidents classified as Attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences (down by 2,882, or 13.2%), and Sexual offences (down by 354, or 10.6%) compared to 2019. Crimes classified as Damage to property and to the environment fell by 11% and Public order and other social code offences fell by 10.6%.

There were increases in the numbers of recorded incidents in the categories of Weapons and explosives offences (up by 14.9%) and Controlled drug offences (up by 9.1%) in 2020 compared to the previous year.

The overall number of homicide offences recorded for 2020 rose by nine compared to 2019, driven by an increase of 10 in the number of incidents classified as Dangerous driving leading to death. The combined figure for Murder and Manslaughter incidents fell by one compared to the previous year. See also Table 3.1.

There were 1,101 breaches of COVID-19 regulations which were classified as crime incidents by An Garda Síochána in 2020, and included breaches of regulations relating to domestic travel restrictions, licensed premises, wearing of face coverings and international travel. These incidents are not included in the statistical tables due to difficulties aligning them with the existing statistical classification. 

There was considerable variation in the number of crime incidents recorded at different times during 2020 in a range of crime offence types, and it is likely that COVID-19 measures played a role in these variations. In 2020, the number of incidents classified as Robbery, extortion and hijacking offences, Burglary and related offences and Theft and related offences were at their highest levels during Q1 and then fell to their lowest levels during Q2. In contrast, the number of crime incidents classified as Weapons and explosives offences and Controlled drug offences were both lowest during Q1 and then rose to their highest levels during Q2. The number of crimes classified as Attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences, Sexual offences and Public order and other social code offences were highest for 2020 during Q3. See Table 1.2 and Figure 1.2.

The number of persons recorded as the victim of an incident in the category Attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences fell by 2,865 or 13.9% in 2020 compared to 2019. The fall in the number of female victims (down by 546, or 6.4%) was considerably lower than the fall in the number of male victims (down by 2,319, or 19%). See Table 1.3. Note that the number of victims highlighted in this section will not match the number of incidents in Table 1.2 above as there may, in limited circumstances, be incidents where no injured party is recorded.

The fall in the number of victims was highest in the 18-29 years age group for both males (down by 944) and females (down by 433). The number of female victims aged between 30 and 44 who reported assaults increased by 61 (+2.1%) in 2020 compared to 2019. This increase, albeit marginal, was the only age cohort among males or females where an increase was observed. See Table 1.3.