Crime in Kent: statistics, rates and trends
145,778 crimes were recorded in Kent in the 12 months to August 2026, 88.9 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (50,692), anti-social behaviour (29,508) and shoplifting (14,150) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 4th of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Kent | South East | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 145,778 | 787,517 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 88.9 | 81.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 1,639,029 | 9,642,942 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Kent of any year here (145,778 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 21%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 145,778 | 88.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 148,849 | 90.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 154,818 | 94.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 159,181 | 97.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 168,147 | 102.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 172,514 | 105.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 180,451 | 110.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 171,206 | 104.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 184,505 | 112.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 13,774 |
| July 2026 | 13,728 |
| June 2026 | 12,365 |
| May 2026 | 12,513 |
| April 2026 | 12,081 |
| March 2026 | 12,515 |
| February 2026 | 10,915 |
| January 2026 | 11,428 |
| December 2025 | 12,043 |
| November 2025 | 11,759 |
| October 2025 | 11,702 |
| September 2025 | 10,955 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (79% below) and public order (50% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 886 to 1,171 and anti-social behaviour rose from 23,552 to 29,508, while theft from the person fell from 702 to 573 and public order fell from 6,566 to 5,412.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 50,692 | 30.9 | 34.2 | -10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 29,508 | 18.0 | 15.4 | +25% |
| Shoplifting | 14,150 | 8.6 | 8.5 | -1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 13,218 | 8.1 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Other theft | 10,056 | 6.1 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Vehicle crime | 6,173 | 3.8 | 5.0 | -6% |
| Public order | 5,412 | 3.3 | 6.7 | -18% |
| Drugs | 4,879 | 3.0 | 3.3 | -9% |
| Other crime | 4,075 | 2.5 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Burglary | 3,582 | 2.2 | 3.6 | -15% |
| Possession of weapons | 1,474 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +2% |
| Robbery | 1,171 | 0.7 | 1.4 | +32% |
| Bicycle theft | 815 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +3% |
| Theft from the person | 573 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -18% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest counties have a higher crime rate than Kent; the highest is East Sussex (91.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Suffolk (61.9).
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Kent |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Sussex | 51,507 | 91.8 | +3% |
| Essex | 125,970 | 80.6 | -9% |
| Surrey | 87,794 | 70.3 | -21% |
| West Sussex | 76,272 | 83.4 | -6% |
| Hertfordshire | 106,430 | 86.1 | -3% |
| Suffolk | 48,655 | 61.9 | -30% |
| Cambridgeshire | 54,865 | 77.2 | -13% |
| Hampshire | 93,650 | 64.7 | -27% |
Of the 12 areas within Kent, Thanet had the highest crime rate (115.6 per 1,000) and Sevenoaks the lowest (62.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanet | District | 142,691 | 16,491 | 115.6 |
| Canterbury | District | 162,100 | 17,480 | 107.8 |
| Dartford | District | 125,011 | 13,370 | 107.0 |
| Swale | District | 158,379 | 15,704 | 99.2 |
| Gravesham | District | 110,671 | 10,265 | 92.8 |
| Dover | District | 119,768 | 10,506 | 87.7 |
| Maidstone | District | 187,767 | 16,356 | 87.1 |
| Folkestone and Hythe | District | 112,411 | 9,645 | 85.8 |
| Ashford | District | 140,936 | 10,895 | 77.3 |
| Tonbridge and Malling | District | 136,853 | 9,281 | 67.8 |
| Tunbridge Wells | District | 119,694 | 8,086 | 67.6 |
| Sevenoaks | District | 122,748 | 7,699 | 62.7 |
Of the 116,270 crimes in Kent with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 29,508 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 42,756 | 36.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 41,628 | 35.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 9,035 | 7.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 7,407 | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 4,543 | 3.9% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 3,382 | 2.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 3,050 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 2,617 | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 1,044 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 486 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 210 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 98 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Kent has an estimated population of 1,639,029 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%) and less social housing (14%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Kent average decile 5.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Kent | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 30.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 6.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Kent a safe place to live?
Kent recorded 88.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 4th of the 20 counties on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Kent?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 50,692 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (29,508).
Is crime in Kent going up or down?
Recorded crime in Kent was down 2% on the year before: 145,778 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 148,849 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Kent?
About 1,639,029 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Kent?
Kent is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.