Number of Thefts in Iran Increased by 70 Percent over a Decade

The registered number of thefts in Iran increased 1.7 times from 2011 to 2021, new research shows, amid an intensification of economic crises.

Reports from the Statistical Center of Iran say that more than 900,000 robberies were registered in 2021, compared to around 545,000 a decade earlier, the collaborative initiative Iran Open Data said in an article published on April 26, adding that the number of arrests has not increased proportionally.

In 2012, law enforcement arrested about 307,000 thieves, which accounted for 56 percent of all registered robbery cases. In 2021, the number reached 445,000, representing about 49 percent of the total cases.

Iran Open Data said that the rate of theft among the population has also increased significantly, reaching 1,075 thefts per 100,000 people in 2021 (about 1.1 percent). That’s 50 percent higher than the rate of 717 cases per 100,000 people recorded 10 years earlier (about 0.07 percent). 

According to official statistics, Iran’s economic growth was almost flat between 2011 and 2021 while the country’s population increased by more than 10 percent, which Iran Open Data said led to an increase in social and political dissatisfaction.

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Iran Open Data's original article in Persian is available here.  

Founded in 2016, Iran Open Data (IOD) strives to make Iran’s official data accessible, available and re-usable. Not only does IOD collect and process raw datasets for researchers and experts, it also publishes exclusive data-driven articles and digital stories for the general public. Additionally, IOD conducts public data calls and surveys on often neglected or taboo issues that are rarely addressed by the government. Follow IOD for all the data-stories concerning Iran.