Crime in Leicestershire: statistics, rates and trends
51,097 crimes were recorded in Leicestershire in the 12 months to August 2026, 68.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Leicestershire at a glance
- Crime trends in Leicestershire
- Types of crime in Leicestershire
- Leicestershire compared with nearby counties
- Areas within Leicestershire
- What happened after crimes were reported in Leicestershire
- Demographics of Leicestershire
- Questions about crime in Leicestershire
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (18,225), anti-social behaviour (7,471) and criminal damage and arson (4,727) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 16th of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Leicestershire | East Midlands | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 51,097 | 475,616 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 68.5 | 93.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 745,573 | 5,063,164 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Leicestershire peaked in the year to August 2023 (55,329 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2020 (47,815). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 3%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 51,097 | 68.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 51,934 | 69.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 52,554 | 70.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 55,329 | 74.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 54,988 | 73.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 47,999 | 64.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 47,815 | 64.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 49,785 | 66.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 49,429 | 66.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,691 |
| July 2026 | 4,733 |
| June 2026 | 4,776 |
| May 2026 | 4,564 |
| April 2026 | 4,089 |
| March 2026 | 4,452 |
| February 2026 | 3,688 |
| January 2026 | 3,925 |
| December 2025 | 3,702 |
| November 2025 | 3,882 |
| October 2025 | 4,429 |
| September 2025 | 4,166 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (77% below) and robbery (73% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 233 to 279, while vehicle crime fell from 3,326 to 2,755.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 18,225 | 24.4 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 7,471 | 10.0 | 15.4 | +4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4,727 | 6.3 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 4,488 | 6.0 | 8.5 | -1% |
| Public order | 3,875 | 5.2 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 3,393 | 4.6 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,755 | 3.7 | 5.0 | -17% |
| Burglary | 2,608 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Other crime | 1,204 | 1.6 | 2.1 | -6% |
| Drugs | 1,054 | 1.4 | 3.3 | +8% |
| Bicycle theft | 377 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +1% |
| Possession of weapons | 352 | 0.5 | 1.0 | +7% |
| Theft from the person | 289 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 0% |
| Robbery | 279 | 0.4 | 1.4 | +20% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest counties have a higher crime rate than Leicestershire; the highest is Lincolnshire (92.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Oxfordshire (67.2).
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Leicestershire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warwickshire | 51,630 | 81.7 | +19% |
| Nottinghamshire | 73,574 | 85.8 | +25% |
| Derbyshire | 66,489 | 80.8 | +18% |
| Staffordshire | 69,659 | 76.8 | +12% |
| Lincolnshire | 72,613 | 92.0 | +34% |
| Worcestershire | 48,472 | 78.0 | +14% |
| Cambridgeshire | 54,865 | 77.2 | +13% |
| Oxfordshire | 51,303 | 67.2 | -2% |
Of the 7 areas within Leicestershire, Charnwood had the highest crime rate (80.3 per 1,000) and Harborough the lowest (51.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charnwood | District | 188,385 | 15,129 | 80.3 |
| North West Leicestershire | District | 111,881 | 7,854 | 70.2 |
| Blaby | District | 108,165 | 7,573 | 70.0 |
| Melton | District | 54,052 | 3,600 | 66.6 |
| Hinckley and Bosworth | District | 116,682 | 7,748 | 66.4 |
| Oadby and Wigston | District | 61,695 | 3,776 | 61.2 |
| Harborough | District | 104,713 | 5,417 | 51.7 |
Of the 43,626 crimes in Leicestershire with a recorded outcome, 40% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 7,471 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 17,334 | 39.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 13,316 | 30.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 4,419 | 10.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,074 | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 1,477 | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 1,187 | 2.7% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,021 | 2.3% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 926 | 2.1% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 803 | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 484 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 277 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 276 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
Leicestershire has an estimated population of 745,573 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (13%, against 23%), less social housing (10%, against 17%) and less private renting (15%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Leicestershire average decile 7.2 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Leicestershire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 32.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 74.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 0.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Leicestershire a safe place to live?
Leicestershire recorded 68.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 16th of the 20 counties on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Leicestershire?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 18,225 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (7,471).
Is crime in Leicestershire going up or down?
Recorded crime in Leicestershire was down 2% on the year before: 51,097 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 51,934 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Leicestershire?
About 745,573 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Leicestershire?
Leicestershire is policed by Leicestershire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.