Crime in East Sussex: statistics, rates and trends
51,507 crimes were recorded in East Sussex in the 12 months to August 2026, 91.8 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 10% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (16,647), anti-social behaviour (11,321) and shoplifting (5,824) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 3rd of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | East Sussex | South East | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 51,507 | 787,517 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 91.8 | 81.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +10% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 560,882 | 9,642,942 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in East Sussex of any year here (51,507 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 15%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 51,507 | 91.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 46,904 | 83.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 46,142 | 82.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 44,745 | 79.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 43,996 | 78.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 47,758 | 85.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 48,685 | 86.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 46,377 | 82.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 44,741 | 79.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,979 |
| July 2026 | 5,414 |
| June 2026 | 4,707 |
| May 2026 | 4,940 |
| April 2026 | 4,419 |
| March 2026 | 4,362 |
| February 2026 | 3,743 |
| January 2026 | 3,761 |
| December 2025 | 3,540 |
| November 2025 | 3,804 |
| October 2025 | 3,989 |
| September 2025 | 3,849 |
Compared with England and Wales, East Sussex recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (31% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (78% below) and bicycle theft (40% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 7,765 to 11,321 and drugs rose from 1,057 to 1,427.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 16,647 | 29.7 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 11,321 | 20.2 | 15.4 | +46% |
| Shoplifting | 5,824 | 10.4 | 8.5 | -8% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4,004 | 7.1 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Public order | 3,852 | 6.9 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Other theft | 2,613 | 4.7 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,799 | 3.2 | 5.0 | +14% |
| Drugs | 1,427 | 2.5 | 3.3 | +35% |
| Burglary | 1,360 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Other crime | 1,093 | 1.9 | 2.1 | +3% |
| Possession of weapons | 604 | 1.1 | 1.0 | +4% |
| Robbery | 475 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +35% |
| Bicycle theft | 276 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +9% |
| Theft from the person | 212 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -6% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
East Sussex has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest counties.
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs East Sussex |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Sussex | 76,272 | 83.4 | -9% |
| Kent | 145,778 | 88.9 | -3% |
| Surrey | 87,794 | 70.3 | -23% |
| Essex | 125,970 | 80.6 | -12% |
| Hampshire | 93,650 | 64.7 | -30% |
| Hertfordshire | 106,430 | 86.1 | -6% |
| Oxfordshire | 51,303 | 67.2 | -27% |
| Suffolk | 48,655 | 61.9 | -33% |
Of the 5 areas within East Sussex, Hastings had the highest crime rate (146.2 per 1,000) and Wealden the lowest (54.6).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings | District | 91,219 | 13,338 | 146.2 |
| Eastbourne | District | 104,259 | 14,639 | 140.4 |
| Lewes | District | 102,363 | 7,500 | 73.3 |
| Rother | District | 96,133 | 6,923 | 72.0 |
| Wealden | District | 166,908 | 9,107 | 54.6 |
Of the 40,186 crimes in East Sussex with a recorded outcome, 43% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 11,321 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 17,463 | 43.5% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 12,684 | 31.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 3,512 | 8.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,254 | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 1,253 | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,205 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 761 | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 324 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 265 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 200 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 137 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 107 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
East Sussex has an estimated population of 560,882 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (27%, against 19%), less social housing (11%, against 17%) and fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up East Sussex average decile 5.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | East Sussex | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 29.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 8.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is East Sussex a safe place to live?
East Sussex recorded 91.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 3rd of the 20 counties on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in East Sussex?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 16,647 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (11,321).
Is crime in East Sussex going up or down?
Recorded crime in East Sussex was up 10% on the year before: 51,507 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 46,904 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of East Sussex?
About 560,882 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers East Sussex?
East Sussex is policed by Sussex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.