More women steal than men
Photo: Ragnar Axelsson
Women now make up the majority of those prosecuted for theft-related offences in Iceland. February 2015 was a turning-point in the gender balance for such prosecutions.
New development
The most recent Crime Bulletin issued by the National Commissioner of the Iceland Police gives the gender share of all individuals arrested for theft-related offences in the last twelve months. While the ratio for the entire period is 60:40 men-to-women, the last month of the year in question, i.e. February 2015, saw the proportion of women overtake that of men for the first time. 54% of all those arrested for theft last month were women.
Theft falling amongst men
According to Helgi Gunnlaugsson, Professor in Sociology at the University of Iceland, this development is due to falling rates of theft among men rather than rising rates among women. Cases of theft in Iceland have been falling generally since 2009, with the fall greater amongst men than women.
That said, men are still responsible for the majority of more serious offences – particularly involving violence and fraud – and usually make up 92-94% of Iceland’s prison population.
