Crime in Lincolnshire: statistics, rates and trends
72,613 crimes were recorded in Lincolnshire in the 12 months to August 2026, 92.0 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Lincolnshire at a glance
- Crime trends in Lincolnshire
- Types of crime in Lincolnshire
- Lincolnshire compared with nearby counties
- Areas within Lincolnshire
- What happened after crimes were reported in Lincolnshire
- Demographics of Lincolnshire
- Questions about crime in Lincolnshire
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (26,396), anti-social behaviour (16,251) and shoplifting (6,638) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2nd of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Lincolnshire | East Midlands | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 72,613 | 475,616 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 92.0 | 93.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 789,502 | 5,063,164 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Lincolnshire peaked in the year to August 2020 (74,156 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (62,937). 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 | 72,613 | 92.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 70,285 | 89.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 68,548 | 86.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 67,363 | 85.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 72,152 | 91.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 71,749 | 90.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 74,156 | 93.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 72,854 | 92.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 62,937 | 79.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 6,916 |
| July 2026 | 7,448 |
| June 2026 | 6,329 |
| May 2026 | 6,282 |
| April 2026 | 6,183 |
| March 2026 | 6,315 |
| February 2026 | 5,187 |
| January 2026 | 5,327 |
| December 2025 | 5,425 |
| November 2025 | 5,640 |
| October 2025 | 5,801 |
| September 2025 | 5,760 |
Compared with England and Wales, Lincolnshire recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (34% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (91% below) and drugs (55% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 408 to 631 and vehicle crime rose from 2,039 to 2,361, while theft from the person fell from 152 to 117 and drugs fell from 1,369 to 1,154.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 26,396 | 33.4 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 16,251 | 20.6 | 15.4 | +4% |
| Shoplifting | 6,638 | 8.4 | 8.5 | -2% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5,461 | 6.9 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Public order | 4,407 | 5.6 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Other theft | 3,852 | 4.9 | 6.4 | +3% |
| Burglary | 2,463 | 3.1 | 3.6 | +5% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,361 | 3.0 | 5.0 | +16% |
| Other crime | 1,756 | 2.2 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Drugs | 1,154 | 1.5 | 3.3 | -16% |
| Robbery | 631 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +55% |
| Bicycle theft | 630 | 0.8 | 0.8 | +7% |
| Possession of weapons | 496 | 0.6 | 1.0 | +11% |
| Theft from the person | 117 | 0.1 | 1.7 | -23% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Lincolnshire has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest counties.
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Lincolnshire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nottinghamshire | 73,574 | 85.8 | -7% |
| Leicestershire | 51,097 | 68.5 | -25% |
| Derbyshire | 66,489 | 80.8 | -12% |
| Cambridgeshire | 54,865 | 77.2 | -16% |
| Norfolk | 66,675 | 70.9 | -23% |
| Warwickshire | 51,630 | 81.7 | -11% |
| Staffordshire | 69,659 | 76.8 | -17% |
| Suffolk | 48,655 | 61.9 | -33% |
Of the 7 areas within Lincolnshire, Lincoln had the highest crime rate (158.9 per 1,000) and North Kesteven the lowest (54.8).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | District | 105,114 | 16,704 | 158.9 |
| Boston | District | 71,080 | 7,787 | 109.6 |
| East Lindsey | District | 145,183 | 14,298 | 98.5 |
| West Lindsey | District | 99,208 | 8,204 | 82.7 |
| South Holland | District | 99,298 | 7,899 | 79.5 |
| South Kesteven | District | 147,151 | 11,005 | 74.8 |
| North Kesteven | District | 122,468 | 6,716 | 54.8 |
Of the 56,362 crimes in Lincolnshire with a recorded outcome, 31% 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 16,251 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 23,640 | 41.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 17,428 | 30.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 5,702 | 10.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 3,198 | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,783 | 3.2% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,480 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1,158 | 2.1% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 748 | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 521 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Local resolution | 365 | 0.6% | 3.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 308 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 28 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Lincolnshire has an estimated population of 789,502 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%), an older population (24%, against 19%) and more retired residents (27%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Lincolnshire average decile 5.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Lincolnshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 24.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 27.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 8.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Lincolnshire a safe place to live?
Lincolnshire recorded 92.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 2nd 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 Lincolnshire?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 26,396 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (16,251).
Is crime in Lincolnshire going up or down?
Recorded crime in Lincolnshire was up 3% on the year before: 72,613 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 70,285 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Lincolnshire?
About 789,502 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Lincolnshire?
Lincolnshire is policed by Lincolnshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.