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Published: 19 January 2022

Number of offences against property decreased by 13.6 per cent

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 478,600 offences against the Criminal Code were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in 2021, which is 64,900 cases (11.9 per cent) fewer than in 2020. A total of 221,500 offences against property were recorded, which is 13.6 per cent fewer than in the year before. Altogether, 33,800 assault offences were recorded, which is 1.4 per cent more than in the year before.

Offences against property by quarter in 2011 to 2021

A majority of the reported offences and infractions are recorded by the police. During 2021, a total of 489,900 offences and infractions were recorded by the police, which is 27.6 per cent fewer than in 2020. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the police was 472,900, which is 11.9 per cent fewer than in 2020. Fines from automatic traffic control are updated into the police PATJA system with a delay of around 80 days, which has an effect on the number of traffic infractions in particular. The Road Traffic Act was amended on 1 June 2020, and as a result, an administrative sanction is imposed for certain traffic infractions instead of a fine. For this reason, the number of traffic infractions in the statistics on offences has fallen considerably.

In 2021, a total of 5,300 offences were recorded by the customs and 2,000 offences by the border guard. Compared with 2020, the offences recorded by the customs decreased by 18.6 per cent and those recorded by the border guard declined by 31.2 per cent. The number of offences against the Criminal Code recorded by the customs was 4,200 and by the border guard 1,400.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded was 33,800 during 2021, which is 1.4 per cent more than in 2020. The number of assault offences in restaurants decreased by 11.8 per cent and that of assault offences in public places grew by 4.4 per cent. The number of assaults in private dwellings decreased by 0.3 per cent, but the number of assaults in other private locations increased by 5.2 per cent. A total of 1,650 aggravated assaults were recorded, which is six per cent fewer than in the previous year. The recorded number of offences against life was 86, which is the same as in 2020. Attempted homicides numbered 382, which is 1 case fewer than in the year before.

Altogether, 1,806 rapes were recorded, which is 356 cases (24.6 per cent) more than in 2020. The recorded number of sexual abuses of a child was 2,055, which is 16.1 per cent more than in the year before. The act on aggravated rape of a child entered into force on 15 April 2019. In 2021, a total of 109 cases of aggravated rape of a child were reported. In 2020, the number was 68. In the statistics, aggravated rape of a child is included in the figures on cases of sexual abuse of a child. In addition, 1,415 other sexual offences were reported. Of them, 726 were cases of sexual harassment, which is 171 cases (30.8 per cent) more than in 2020.

The recorded numbers of rapes and sexual abuses of a child reported to the authorities vary much yearly. Individual reports of an offence may include a series of incidents comprising several criminal acts.

Offences against property

During 2021, a total of 221,500 offences against property were recorded, which is 35,000 (13.6 per cent) fewer than in the previous year.

A total of 35,800 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Criminal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 5.1 per cent more than in the year before. The number of frauds appears to be growing after a few years of decline. The recorded number of aggravated frauds was around 1,900.

During 2021, means of payment frauds numbered 6,200, which is 1,200 cases (15.9 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 242.

The number of robberies reported was 1,909 which is 4.4 per cent fewer than in the year before. Of robberies, 443 were aggravated.

A total of 126,900 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 12,200 cases (8.8 per cent) fewer than in 2020. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was slightly over 2,100, which is down by 18.7 per cent from the year before. The recorded number of break-ins into houses and free-time residences was 3,900, which is 17.5 per cent fewer than in 2020. Altogether, 52,000 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 0.8 per cent fewer than in the year before.

In 2021, the recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of a motor vehicle for temporary use was 5,100, which is 17.4 per cent fewer than in the year before. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one half.

The recorded number of criminal damages was nearly 31,500, which is 2,000 cases fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 281 cases of aggravated criminal damage were reported. The number of criminal damages has primarily been falling since 2009, when 50,700 of them were recorded during the year.

Other offences

The recorded number of driving while intoxicated was 17,500 in 2021, which is 13.5 per cent down from 2020. One-third of the recorded cases of driving while intoxicated were cases of driving while seriously intoxicated. A total of 6,300 cases of driving while seriously intoxicated were recorded, which is 8.8 per cent lower than in the year before. A total of 11,200 basic cases of driving while intoxicated were recorded, which is 2,100 cases fewer than one year previously.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was around 28,000, which is down by 24.6 per cent from the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went up by 4.4 per cent. A total of 1,500 of them were recorded. Around two out of three narcotics offences are cases of unlawful use of narcotics. The number recorded was close on 19,200, which is 19.4 per cent lower than in 2020.

During 2021, a total of 3,300 cases of identity theft were recorded, which is 1,000 cases (23.3 per cent) fewer than in 2020. Identity theft was added to the Criminal Code on 4 September 2015 and by the end of 2015, a total of 530 cases of identity theft had been reported.

Altogether, 89,300 cases of causing a traffic hazard, causing a serious traffic hazard and flight from the scene of a traffic accident (Criminal Code, Section 23, Paragraphs 1 to 2, 11) were recorded, which is 9.2 per cent more than in 2020. Fines from automatic traffic control are updated into the police PATJA system with a delay of around 80 days, so the data will become revised. The Road Traffic Act was amended on 1 June 2020, and as a result, an administrative sanction is imposed for certain traffic infractions instead of a fine. For this reason, the number of traffic infractions in the statistics on offences has declined considerably.

Number of certain types of offences in October, November and December, and in January to December 2021 and change from the corresponding period of the previo

Offence	January-December		October		November		December
	2021	Change	2021	Change	2021	Change	2021	Change
1) Offences and infractions total 1)	497,277	-188,768	44,369	-33,404	41,194	-5,089	33,556	-4,044
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	478,568	-64,861	42,845	-33,194	39,967	-4,886	32,547	-3,696
Offences against property	221,486	-34,982	20,773	-15,428	19,273	-1,435	14,412	-1,504
Burglary	30,842	-3,958	2,888	21	2,643	-34	1,999	-231
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	5,143	-1,083	499	-16	385	-8	345	25
Robbery	1,909	-87	212	51	207	46	176	45
Damage to property	31,479	-1,964	3,168	361	2,671	-95	1,842	-457
Offences against life and health	36,134	222	3,439	377	3,243	442	2,871	151
Manslaughter, murder and killing	86	-	6	-3	11	8	15	6
Assault	33,762	477	3,249	424	3,038	438	2,690	157
Sexual offences	5,276	884	480	86	496	58	394	-12
Rape	1,806	356	131	1	159	32	120	21
Drunken driving	17,490	-2,726	1,458	-83	1,405	-146	1,377	-165
Narcotics offences	27,955	-9,122	2,244	-497	2,283	-378	2,006	-446

1) Fines from automatic traffic control are updated into the police PATJA system with a delay of around 80 days, which has an effect on the number of traffic infractions in particular.

Source: Statistics on offences and coercive measures 2021, 4. quarter

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

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

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• Appendix table 1. Development of certain types of offences in 2017 to 2021 (preliminary data) (19.1.2022)

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Updated 19.1.2022