Youth offending rate rises in Singapore, driven by jump in cheating offences
The number of young people committing cheating and related offences rose by 37 per cent in 2025, with many involved in scams as mules.
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SINGAPORE: The youth offending rate rose in Singapore in 2025, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said on Tuesday (Sep 29), driven mainly by an increase in cheating and related offences.
According to MSF’s youth rehabilitation trends report, the youth offending rate was 5.6 per 1,000 youths in 2025, up from the 4.8 per 1,000 recorded in 2024, though still lower than the 2021 peak of 5.8.
The report defined youths as those aged 10 to below 21.
CHEATING OFFENCES
The increase in the offending rate was primarily driven by the number of youths who committed cheating and related offences, which jumped 37 per cent from 814 in 2024 to 1,114 in 2025, the highest since 2021.
Youths in this category were largely involved in scams as mules.
In such cases, youths were found to have relinquished their bank account and Singpass credentials, registered and handed over SIM cards or mobile phone lines, and facilitated transactions for scammers.
For middle and older youths, cheating and related offences remained the top offence category in 2025.
Among middle youths, or those aged 16 to below 18, the number involved in cheating and related offences rose from 229 in 2024 to 270 in 2025.
For older youths aged 18 to below 21, that number increased from 574 to 782 over the same time period.
YOUNGER YOUTHS
But for younger youths aged 10 to below 16, theft and related offences as well as sexual offences were the two most common offence categories.
The number of younger youths who committed theft and related offences rose from 279 in 2024 to 326 in 2025, with shop theft being he most common theft-related offence from 2021 to 2025.
Meanwhile, the number of younger youths who committed sexual offences increased from 193 in 2024 to 199 in 2025.
Among sexual offences, sexual penetration of a minor remained the most common, with the number of offenders rising from 105 in 2024 to 114 in 2025.
The report noted that the offence is made out when the victim is below 16, regardless of the victim's consent.
Overall, theft and related offences remained a common offence category from 2021 to 2025, increasing from 571 offenders in 2024 to 588 in 2025, although the number who committed shop theft fell slightly from 402 to 394.
Sexual offences fell from 461 offenders in 2024 to 437 in 2025, although sexual penetration offences increased from 225 to 253.
The number of youths involved in public order and related offences fell from 314 offenders in 2024 to 238 in 2025, while drug consumption offences remained relatively stable at 206 offenders in 2025, compared with 199 in 2024. Older youths formed the majority of drug offenders amongst the age groups examined.
RECIDIVISM RATES
Two-year recidivism rates for cases under MSF’s purview rose from 9.1 per cent for the 2022 cohort to 10.3 per cent for the 2023 cohort, though rehabilitation completion rates remained consistently high at 85 per cent to 92.9 per cent between 2021 and 2025.
The report noted that from 2025 onwards, the youth offending rate will be measured differently.
In the current report, rates from 2021 to 2025 were calculated based on the number of youths arrested within the year. However, from 2025 onwards, the offending rates will be calculated based on the number of youths investigated within the year.
“This new indicator better reflects the youth offending situation, as it more comprehensively accounts for youths investigated for offences, including those not physically arrested,” said MSF.
The number of youths investigated in 2025 was 4,160.
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
MSF said on Tuesday the government response to tackle youth offending and reoffending would focus on three strategies – upstream interventions to support at-risk youths and their families earlier, preventive education, and proportionate rehabilitation and deterrence according to each youth’s risks and needs.
Upstream measures include engaging youth offenders to identify siblings who may face similar risks and connect them with mentors and positive peers before offending occurs.
Preventive education will focus on raising awareness in areas including sexual offences, shop theft, scams and drugs.
Rehabilitation efforts include psychology-based programmes, casework and counselling, education, vocational and skills training, as well as family-focused interventions.
“Structured aftercare and community-based arrangements are also available where appropriate, to support youth’s transition back into society while minimising disruption to their education, employment and family relationships,” MSF said.
“These efforts seek to address offending behaviour, strengthen protective factors and support needed for successful reintegration and reduced reoffending.”
Similarly, the National Committee on Preventing Offending and Reoffending (NCPR) - jointly chaired by MSF and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) - will focus on strengthening preventive education, improving early identification and coordinated support for youth and families at higher risk, and sharpening rehabilitation and aftercare to reduce reoffending.
“The government remains committed to working closely with partners to reduce youth offending, sustain high programme completion rates, and keep recidivism low,” read MSF’s report.
“It will continue to monitor and respond proactively to emerging trends, including youth involvement in scam-related offences, to ensure that rehabilitation efforts remain effective and responsive to evolving risks."
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