The volume of crime committed by young people has fallen by 25% over the last decade, according to a report published today by the National Audit Office.

However, the report reveals that those offenders who receive serious community sentences or custodial sentences remain just as likely to offend again as they were 10 years ago when the youth justice system was brought in.

The document shows the number of young people held in custody has fallen by 14% over the past five years, while the adult prison population has grown by 14%. It estimates that offending by young people cost the economy between £8.5bn and £11bn in 2009.

While the number of first-time entrants into the system is at its lowest since 2001, the proportion of young offenders receiving more serious community sentences who go on to reoffend has gone up since 2000.

NAO head Amyas Morse said: ‘Today’s report recognises that key measures of youth crime, such as the number of young people entering the youth justice system, and the volume of re-offending by young offenders, show real improvement.

‘However, young people receiving more serious community sentences and custodial sentences are just as likely to re-offend today as they were in 2000.’

Morse said more needed to be done to find out which interventions are most effective in dealing with offending behaviour, so that money can be directed at what works.