Rising Tide: Juvenile Crime Surge in 2024

In 2024, juvenile crime in India rose by 11.2%, with 34,878 cases reported. The crime rate increased from 7.1 to 7.9 per lakh population. Bihar had the most significant jump, with crimes rising 177% from the previous year. Heinous crimes dominate the charges against juveniles.

In a disconcerting rise, juvenile crime rates in India surged by 11.2% in 2024, with the National Crime Records Bureau reporting 34,878 cases. This marks a significant increase from the 31,365 cases recorded in the previous year, according to data released on Wednesday.

The national crime rate also saw an upsurge, rising from 7.1 to 7.9 per lakh population. A total of 42,633 juveniles were apprehended, with a significant number, 77.7%, falling in the 16-18 age bracket. Among these, 34,648 were booked under the IPC and the BNS, and 7,985 under special laws.

Notably, Bihar emerged with the highest incidents of juvenile crimes among states, recording a 177% increase to 5,037 cases which translates to 10.6 crimes per lakh population. This starkly exceeds the national average rate of 7.4. The data pointed to heinous offenses such as rape, murder, and sexual crimes against minors as predominant among the charges.