The claim
“Shoplifting offences in England and Wales exceeded 500,000 in the previous year, representing an approximate 20% increase compared to the year before.”
Our verdict
True
The official statistics from the ONS confirm that reported shoplifting offences in England and Wales reached 530,643 in the year ending March 2025, which is approximately a 20% increase from the prior year.
What we found
This directly corroborates the claim's figures.
The evidence
2 sources, all background: none settles the claim either way.
- Background
ONS reports 530,643 shoplifting offences, an 11% decrease in theft incidents overall but record high for shoplifting specifically, representing about 20% year-on-year increase.
ons.gov.uk· ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales 2025 - Background
BBC confirms the ONS figures showing 530,643 shoplifting offences and a 20% increase, validating the claim's core data.
bbc.co.uk· BBC News report on shoplifting record high
How we checked
We reviewed 2 relevant sources.
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