Crime in India
| Crime rate in India 2023 (crime per 100,000 population) | |
|---|---|
| Murder | 2.0 |
| Rape | 4.4 |
| Kidnapping | 8.2 |
| Death by road accidents | 11.3 |
| Dowry deaths | 0.9 |
| Grievous hurt | 7.2 |
| Sexual harassment | 2.6 |
| Human trafficking | 0.1 |
| Riots | 2.8 |
| Theft | 49.5 |
| Burglary | 7.7 |
| Extortion | 0.9 |
| Robbery & Dacoity | 2.2 |
| Forgery, cheating & fraud | 13.0 |
| Drugs use & trafficking | 8.6 |
| Illegal arms | 3.1 |
| Crimes against children | 17.4 |
| Cyber crime | 6.2 |
| Note - Rate of crime against children is calculated per 100,000 children population | |
Crime in India has been recorded since the British Raj, with comprehensive statistics now compiled annually by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (India).
In 2023, a total of 62,41,569 crimes, comprising 37,63,102 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 24,78,467 Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes were registered nationwide. The crime rate is 448.3 in 2023, highest in the previous three years. In 2023, offences affecting the human body contributed 31.5%, offences against property contributed 23.3%, and miscellaneous IPC crimes contributed 30.3% of all cognizable IPC crimes. Murder rate was 2.0 per 100,000, kidnapping rate was 8.2 per 100,000, and rape rate was 4.4 per 100,000 in 2023.
According to the UN, the homicide rate was 2.95 per 100,000 in 2020 with 40,651 recorded, down from a peak of 5.46 per 100,000 in 1992 and essentially unchanged since 2017, higher than most countries in Asia and Europe and lower than most in the Americas and Africa although numerically one of the highest due to the large population.
The percentage of IPC cases pending investigation at the end of 2023 was 29.2%. Charge-sheet rate is calculated as all cases where charges were framed as a percentage of total cases disposed after investigation. The charge-sheet rate of IPC crimes in India was 72.7% in 2023. Conviction rate is calculated as all cases where accused was convicted by court after completion of a trial, as a percentage of total cases where trial was completed. The conviction rate of IPC crimes in India was 54.0% in 2023.
In 2023, 45,544 murders were under investigation by police, of which charges were framed in 24,575; and 40,393 rapes were under investigation by police, of which charges were framed in 24,582. In 2023, 2,72,198 murders were under trial in courts, of which conviction was given in 7,181; and 2,03,067 rapes were under trial in courts, of which conviction was given in 4,464. The murder conviction rate was 37.7 and the rape conviction rate was 22.7 in 2023.