There was a significant increase in fraud offences in the first half of this year, largely due to a backlog of reports from financial institutions, while property-related crime has fallen significantly, according to Garda figures.
Fraud and economic crime increased 73 per cent on the same period in 2024, with forgery offences up 200 per cent alone.
At the end of last year, gardaí warned there would likely be an increase in fraud-related offences reflected in statistics. This was due to a backlog and “high volume” of suspected offences reported by financial institutions, which continue to be processed.
Shopping and online auction fraud, in which fake shopping websites or listings are set up in order to obtain payment card details, increased 166 per cent in the same period, according to the latest figures.
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However, there was a fall in reports of counterfeit cash, which was down 88 per cent, while common forms of financial fraud involving phone calls, voice messages, texts and emails – known as “vishing”, “smishing” and “phishing” – were down 26 per cent.
Separately, the number of sexual offences reported increased, with sexual assault up per 7 cent and rape offences increasing by 4 per cent in the first half of 2025.
Similar to the same period in 2024, more than 32,100 domestic abuse-related contacts were received by gardaí.
The number of murder and manslaughter offences stood at 15, according to the figures, while there was a 3 per cent decrease in assault-causing-harm offences. Minor assaults increased by one per cent.
Overall, crimes against the person were down by 2 per cent, with the largest decreases reported in the southern region.
Incidents of discharging a firearm were up 39 per cent, though this was an increase of “less than 20 incidents”, with the total representing less than four incidents per week, according to An Garda Síochána. Possession-of-a-firearm offences were down 16 per cent.
Of the 78,000 fixed-charge notices issued in the same period, more than 12,300 were for using a mobile phone while driving
While criminal damage incidents decreased by 11 per cent overall, arson offences rose by 20 per cent. There was a 36 per cent fall in riots or violent-disorder incidents.
There were 627 demonstrations held in the first half of this year, down from 683 in the same period in 2024.
“However, the shorter-term trend is showing the volume of demonstrations increasing again,” An Garda Síochána said.
More than 22,100 road-traffic collisions were reported to gardaí in the same period. Twenty-three drivers were arrested each day on average for driving while intoxicated, an increase of 8 per cent.
Of the 78,000 fixed-charge notices issued in the same period, more than 12,300 were for using a mobile phone while driving, an increase of 10 per cent from the same period in 2024.
Meanwhile, there was a decrease in property crime, including aggravated burglaries, which was down 25 per cent, and robberies from people, down 24 per cent.
Residential burglaries fell by 13 per cent. The number equated to 14 per day across the Republic in the first six months of this year.
The theft of bicycles was down 3 per cent, though this was largely due to the 11 per cent reduction in the Dublin region, with all other regions recording increases.
Overall, the number of thefts from shops was the same as 2024, but there was a reported increase of 7 per cent in the Dublin region.
According to An Garda Síochána, long-term trends continue to demonstrate an “ongoing and sustained reduction” in recorded crime.
