NCRB Releases Crime in India Report 2023

On 29th September 2025, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released the “Crime in India 2023” report, providing comprehensive data on offences across the country, from violent crimes to cybercrime, caste-based offences, and economic frauds, which serve as a crucial resource for policymaking and law enforcement priorities.

Key Points

Overall Crime Trends: India recorded 27,721 cases of murder in 2023, a decline of 2.8% from 2022, while cybercrimes surged by 31.2%, totaling 86,420 cases.
Crime Rate: The overall crime rate per lakh population increased from 422.2 in 2022 to 448.3 in 2023, with motor vehicle violations doubling to 1.92 lakh cases, heavily contributing to the rise.
NCRB Role: Established in 1986 under the Union Home Ministry, NCRB compiles national crime data, maintains fingerprint records, and assists in locating interstate and international criminals.
Data Collection: Crime data is submitted by 36 States and UTs via NCRB-prescribed proforma, validated at district and state levels, and finally compiled at NCRB.
Crime Against Children: A total of 1,77,335 cases were registered in 2023, a 9.2% increase, with major offences including kidnapping/abduction (45%) and crimes under the POCSO Act (38.2%).
Crimes Against Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Castes (SCs): Crimes against STs rose 28.8% with 12,960 cases, with Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan most affected; crimes against SCs totalled 57,789 cases, led by Uttar Pradesh (15,130).
Cybercrime: Cases rose sharply from 65,893 in 2022 to 86,420 in 2023, primarily involving fraud, extortion, and sexual exploitation, with Karnataka, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh reporting the highest numbers.