Home > Statistics > Offences known to the police > 2014 > 4th quarter > Number of offences declined by 1.6 per cent in 2014

Published: 19 January 2015

Number of offences declined by 1.6 per cent in 2014

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 417,500 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in 2014, which is 7,000 cases (1.6 per cent) fewer than one year earlier. The number of property offences recorded was 241,200, which was 0.3 per cent more than in 2013. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 35,100, which is 2,800 cases (7.4 per cent) lower than in 2013. In addition, 410,200 cases of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions were registered, which is 34,300 cases fewer (7.7 per cent) than in 2013.

Offences and endangerment of traffic safety in 2009 to 2014

Exceeding speed limits towards the end of 2012 were recorded erroneously in the early part of 2013

During 2014, a total of 23,400 frauds were recorded, which is 3.0 per cent more than in the year before. The number of frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud) has grown considerably in the 2000s. Over the past ten years, 16,100 frauds, on average, have been reported yearly. In 2014, a total of 1,500 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 38.5 per cent more than one year earlier.

During 2014, means of payment frauds numbered 7,800, which is 150 cases (2.0 per cent) more than in the previous year. The recorded number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 122. Over the past ten years, the average number of payment frauds has been 4,500 per year.

Altogether, 1,700 robberies were reported, which was 11.0 per cent more than in 2013 but less than in the early 2000s. Altogether, 210 aggravated robberies were reported.

During 2014, a total of 143,100 theft offences (thefts, petty thefts and aggravated thefts) were reported, which was 1,600 cases more (1.2 per cent) than in 2013. The number of aggravated thefts went up by 21.1 per cent. A total of 3,700 of them were recorded. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 6,400, which was 610 cases (10.6 per cent) more than in 2013. Over the past ten years, the average number of break-ins into houses has been 6,500 per year.

The recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of use of a motor vehicle was 7,800, which is 2.3 per cent less than in 2013. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one third.

In 2014, altogether 42,500 damages to property were recorded, which is 2.0 per cent fewer than the year before. Altogether, 260 aggravated damages to property were reported.

The number of assault offences recorded was 32,800 during 2014, which was 2,600 cases (7.3 per cent) fewer than in 2013. Over the past ten years, 33,800 assault offences, on average, have been reported yearly. Compared with 2013, aggravated assaults went down by 8.7 per cent. A total of 1,650 of them were recorded. 

In 2014, the number of rapes recorded was 1,010, against 980 one year earlier. Over the past ten years, the average number of rapes has been 800 per year. The recorded number of sexual exploitations of a child was 1,400, which is 14.6 per cent fewer than in the year before. Detected sexual exploitations of a child have increased considerably in recent years. The recorded numbers of rapes and sexual exploitations of a child vary much yearly. Individual reports of an offence may include a series of incidents comprising several criminal acts.

The number of drunken driving was 17,700 in 2014, which is 2.2 per cent down from 2013. Nearly one-half of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. Aggravated drunken driving decreased by 7.8 per cent and other drunken driving increased by 3.5 per cent. Over the last ten years, 23,600 cases of drunken driving were recorded annually on average.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was 21,700, which is down by four per cent from the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 7.7 per cent. A total of 1,100 of them were recorded.

The presentation of the statistics was revised as of the beginning of 2009. Endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions are separated from other offences and they are presented in a separate table. The total number of offences is comparable with earlier figures, because the same division has also been made retrospectively until 1980. The aim of the revision is to improve the comparability of offences between different years and enhance their international comparability. The quality description of the statistics contains annually more detailed information about revisions but it is regrettably published only in Finnish.

From the beginning of 2009, offences recorded by the customs and border guard are also included. The change does not have much effect on the comparability of offences. Of the most common types of offences the change primarily affects the comparability of narcotics offences.

Number of certain types of offences in October, November and December, and in January to December 2014 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January-December		October		November		December
	2014	Change	2014	Change	2014	Change	2014	Change
All offences 1)	417,479	-6,955	37,563	865	32,188	-1,666	28,387	-845
Burglary	33,954	1,425	3,296	219	2,643	-95	2,377	50
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	7,778	-190	702	-36	555	-19	463	44
Robbery	1,700	169	166	13	140	9	127	-12
Damage to property	42,512	-859	3,830	166	2,741	-671	2,829	-145
Manslaughter, murder and killing	102	2	16	8	6	-2	4	-7
Assault	32,763	-2,592	2,676	-144	2,577	-368	2,604	-279
Rape	1,009	32	81	4	92	11	76	5
Drunken driving	17,662	-391	1,500	37	1,563	65	1,269	-99
Narcotics offences	21,689	-915	2,360	431	1,844	-149	1,471	-30

1) Excl. endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic, and motor vehicle infraction.

Number of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions in October, November and December, and in January to December 2014 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January-December		October		November		December
	2014	Change	2014	Change	2014	Change	2014	Change
Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction	410,310	-34,227	37,040	1,486	38,386	3,815	39,793	8,504
-exceeding speed limits 1)	293,730	-22,116	26,821	2,527	29,742	5,143	31,566	8,322

1) Cases of exceeding speed limits registered as endangerment of traffic safety, aggravated endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions.

Source: Offences known to the police 2014, 4. quarter

Inquiries: Kimmo Haapakangas 029 551 3252, rikos@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (267.6 kB)

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

• Database tables and their variables
• Archived tables

Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Development of certain types of offences in 2010 to 2014 (preliminary data) (19.1.2015)
• Appendix table 2. Number of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions in 2010 to 2014 (preliminary data) (19.1.2015)

---

Updated 19.01.2015