Crime in Essex: statistics, rates and trends
125,970 crimes were recorded in Essex in the 12 months to August 2026, 80.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (51,928), anti-social behaviour (14,669) and shoplifting (9,536) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 10th of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Essex | East of England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 125,970 | 530,364 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 80.6 | 80.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 1,563,365 | 6,576,306 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Essex peaked in the year to August 2019 (159,555 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (119,842). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 15%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 125,970 | 80.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 119,842 | 76.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 124,109 | 79.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 134,379 | 86.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 148,717 | 95.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 158,641 | 101.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 159,090 | 101.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 159,555 | 102.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 148,131 | 94.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 12,030 |
| July 2026 | 12,587 |
| June 2026 | 11,640 |
| May 2026 | 11,042 |
| April 2026 | 10,598 |
| March 2026 | 10,508 |
| February 2026 | 8,901 |
| January 2026 | 9,359 |
| December 2025 | 9,545 |
| November 2025 | 9,699 |
| October 2025 | 10,292 |
| September 2025 | 9,769 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (73% below) and robbery (48% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 10,980 to 14,669 and robbery rose from 872 to 1,105.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 51,928 | 33.2 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 14,669 | 9.4 | 15.4 | +34% |
| Shoplifting | 9,536 | 6.1 | 8.5 | -3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9,453 | 6.0 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Other theft | 8,662 | 5.5 | 6.4 | +9% |
| Public order | 8,436 | 5.4 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Vehicle crime | 7,559 | 4.8 | 5.0 | -6% |
| Drugs | 4,893 | 3.1 | 3.3 | +6% |
| Burglary | 4,094 | 2.6 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Other crime | 2,672 | 1.7 | 2.1 | -9% |
| Possession of weapons | 1,394 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +12% |
| Robbery | 1,105 | 0.7 | 1.4 | +27% |
| Bicycle theft | 855 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +1% |
| Theft from the person | 714 | 0.5 | 1.7 | -15% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest counties have a higher crime rate than Essex; the highest is East Sussex (91.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Suffolk (61.9).
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Essex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | 145,778 | 88.9 | +10% |
| Hertfordshire | 106,430 | 86.1 | +7% |
| Suffolk | 48,655 | 61.9 | -23% |
| Cambridgeshire | 54,865 | 77.2 | -4% |
| Surrey | 87,794 | 70.3 | -13% |
| East Sussex | 51,507 | 91.8 | +14% |
| Norfolk | 66,675 | 70.9 | -12% |
| West Sussex | 76,272 | 83.4 | +3% |
Of the 12 areas within Essex, Harlow had the highest crime rate (111.2 per 1,000) and Maldon the lowest (51.1).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlow | District | 98,235 | 10,925 | 111.2 |
| Basildon | District | 193,632 | 19,026 | 98.3 |
| Tendring | District | 156,759 | 14,944 | 95.3 |
| Colchester | District | 200,222 | 18,986 | 94.8 |
| Chelmsford | District | 188,803 | 15,908 | 84.3 |
| Epping Forest | District | 137,451 | 10,480 | 76.2 |
| Brentwood | District | 79,326 | 5,879 | 74.1 |
| Castle Point | District | 90,581 | 5,644 | 62.3 |
| Uttlesford | District | 95,106 | 5,882 | 61.8 |
| Braintree | District | 164,304 | 10,156 | 61.8 |
| Rochford | District | 89,815 | 4,605 | 51.3 |
| Maldon | District | 69,131 | 3,535 | 51.1 |
Of the 111,301 crimes in Essex with a recorded outcome, 34% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 14,669 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 41,352 | 37.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 37,384 | 33.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 10,087 | 9.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 6,388 | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 3,811 | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 3,367 | 3.0% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 3,074 | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,931 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1,676 | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 862 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 306 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 43 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Essex has an estimated population of 1,563,365 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%), fewer students (5.7%, against 7.9%) and less private renting (16%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Essex average decile 6.1 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Essex | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 3.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Essex a safe place to live?
Essex recorded 80.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 10th of the 20 counties on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Essex?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 51,928 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (14,669).
Is crime in Essex going up or down?
Recorded crime in Essex was up 5% on the year before: 125,970 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 119,842 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Essex?
About 1,563,365 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Essex?
Essex is policed by Essex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.