Crime in Oxfordshire: statistics, rates and trends
51,303 crimes were recorded in Oxfordshire in the 12 months to August 2026, 67.2 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (19,815), anti-social behaviour (5,395) and shoplifting (5,199) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 17th of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Oxfordshire | South East | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 51,303 | 787,517 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 67.2 | 81.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 763,218 | 9,642,942 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Oxfordshire peaked in the year to August 2022 (55,142 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (45,514). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 12%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 51,303 | 67.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 51,888 | 68.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 52,310 | 68.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 54,198 | 71.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 55,142 | 72.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 51,266 | 67.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 46,570 | 61.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 45,514 | 59.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 45,849 | 60.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,540 |
| July 2026 | 4,976 |
| June 2026 | 4,500 |
| May 2026 | 4,454 |
| April 2026 | 4,243 |
| March 2026 | 4,076 |
| February 2026 | 3,897 |
| January 2026 | 3,979 |
| December 2025 | 3,972 |
| November 2025 | 4,228 |
| October 2025 | 4,200 |
| September 2025 | 4,238 |
Compared with England and Wales, Oxfordshire recorded notably more bicycle theft (95% above the national rate), and notably less possession of weapons (60% below) and theft from the person (59% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 411 to 520 and other crime rose from 958 to 1,119, while possession of weapons fell from 418 to 298 and theft from the person fell from 736 to 530.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 19,815 | 26.0 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 5,395 | 7.1 | 15.4 | +7% |
| Shoplifting | 5,199 | 6.8 | 8.5 | -8% |
| Public order | 4,162 | 5.5 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Other theft | 4,003 | 5.2 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 3,648 | 4.8 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,957 | 2.6 | 5.0 | -18% |
| Burglary | 1,876 | 2.5 | 3.6 | +2% |
| Drugs | 1,556 | 2.0 | 3.3 | -9% |
| Bicycle theft | 1,225 | 1.6 | 0.8 | -5% |
| Other crime | 1,119 | 1.5 | 2.1 | +17% |
| Theft from the person | 530 | 0.7 | 1.7 | -28% |
| Robbery | 520 | 0.7 | 1.4 | +27% |
| Possession of weapons | 298 | 0.4 | 1.0 | -29% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest counties have a higher crime rate than Oxfordshire; the highest is Hertfordshire (86.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Hampshire (64.7).
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Oxfordshire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warwickshire | 51,630 | 81.7 | +21% |
| Hertfordshire | 106,430 | 86.1 | +28% |
| Surrey | 87,794 | 70.3 | +5% |
| Worcestershire | 48,472 | 78.0 | +16% |
| Hampshire | 93,650 | 64.7 | -4% |
| Leicestershire | 51,097 | 68.5 | +2% |
| Cambridgeshire | 54,865 | 77.2 | +15% |
| West Sussex | 76,272 | 83.4 | +24% |
Of the 5 areas within Oxfordshire, Oxford had the highest crime rate (107.0 per 1,000) and South Oxfordshire the lowest (47.5).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford | District | 166,034 | 17,767 | 107.0 |
| Cherwell | District | 170,426 | 12,225 | 71.7 |
| Vale of White Horse | District | 149,347 | 7,947 | 53.2 |
| West Oxfordshire | District | 120,941 | 5,924 | 49.0 |
| South Oxfordshire | District | 156,470 | 7,440 | 47.5 |
Of the 45,908 crimes in Oxfordshire with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 5,395 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 15,947 | 34.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 15,376 | 33.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 5,845 | 12.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,366 | 5.2% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 1,907 | 4.2% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,830 | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 1,056 | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 805 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 337 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 312 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 56 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 29 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Oxfordshire has an estimated population of 763,218 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%), more students (10.0%, against 7.9%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (14%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Oxfordshire average decile 7.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Oxfordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 42.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 0.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Oxfordshire a safe place to live?
Oxfordshire recorded 67.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 17th of the 20 counties on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Oxfordshire?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 19,815 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (5,395).
Is crime in Oxfordshire going up or down?
Recorded crime in Oxfordshire was down 1% on the year before: 51,303 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 51,888 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Oxfordshire?
About 763,218 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Oxfordshire?
Oxfordshire is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.