Crime in Staffordshire: statistics, rates and trends
69,659 crimes were recorded in Staffordshire in the 12 months to August 2026, 76.8 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Staffordshire at a glance
- Crime trends in Staffordshire
- Types of crime in Staffordshire
- Staffordshire compared with nearby counties
- Areas within Staffordshire
- What happened after crimes were reported in Staffordshire
- Demographics of Staffordshire
- Questions about crime in Staffordshire
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (29,663), anti-social behaviour (10,561) and public order (5,710) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 13th of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Staffordshire | West Midlands | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 69,659 | 579,648 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 76.8 | 93.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 907,153 | 6,187,204 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Staffordshire of any year here (69,659 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 69,659 | 76.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 65,198 | 71.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 62,703 | 69.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 69,428 | 76.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 68,334 | 75.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 57,708 | 63.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 62,012 | 68.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 66,371 | 73.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 69,131 | 76.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 6,152 |
| July 2026 | 6,927 |
| June 2026 | 6,461 |
| May 2026 | 6,098 |
| April 2026 | 5,810 |
| March 2026 | 6,098 |
| February 2026 | 5,016 |
| January 2026 | 5,253 |
| December 2025 | 5,489 |
| November 2025 | 5,111 |
| October 2025 | 5,564 |
| September 2025 | 5,680 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (91% below) and shoplifting (44% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 504 to 703 and bicycle theft rose from 404 to 509, while theft from the person fell from 167 to 138.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 29,663 | 32.7 | 34.2 | +10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 10,561 | 11.6 | 15.4 | +20% |
| Public order | 5,710 | 6.3 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4,520 | 5.0 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 4,279 | 4.7 | 8.5 | -12% |
| Other theft | 3,992 | 4.4 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Vehicle crime | 3,050 | 3.4 | 5.0 | -14% |
| Burglary | 2,245 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Drugs | 1,978 | 2.2 | 3.3 | +11% |
| Other crime | 1,600 | 1.8 | 2.1 | +8% |
| Possession of weapons | 711 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +11% |
| Robbery | 703 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +39% |
| Bicycle theft | 509 | 0.6 | 0.8 | +26% |
| Theft from the person | 138 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -17% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest counties have a higher crime rate than Staffordshire; the highest is Lancashire (92.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Oxfordshire (67.2).
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derbyshire | 66,489 | 80.8 | +5% |
| Leicestershire | 51,097 | 68.5 | -11% |
| Warwickshire | 51,630 | 81.7 | +6% |
| Worcestershire | 48,472 | 78.0 | +2% |
| Nottinghamshire | 73,574 | 85.8 | +12% |
| Lincolnshire | 72,613 | 92.0 | +20% |
| Lancashire | 119,662 | 92.4 | +20% |
| Oxfordshire | 51,303 | 67.2 | -12% |
Of the 8 areas within Staffordshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme had the highest crime rate (88.7 per 1,000) and South Staffordshire the lowest (59.5).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | District | 127,727 | 11,323 | 88.7 |
| Cannock Chase | District | 104,088 | 8,966 | 86.1 |
| Stafford | District | 141,556 | 11,641 | 82.2 |
| Tamworth | District | 81,117 | 6,522 | 80.4 |
| East Staffordshire | District | 129,659 | 10,192 | 78.6 |
| Lichfield | District | 111,932 | 7,667 | 68.5 |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | District | 96,651 | 6,544 | 67.7 |
| South Staffordshire | District | 114,423 | 6,804 | 59.5 |
Of the 59,098 crimes in Staffordshire with a recorded outcome, 26% 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 10,561 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 24,482 | 41.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 15,419 | 26.1% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 7,950 | 13.5% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 2,983 | 5.0% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,756 | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,375 | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,369 | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 1,197 | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 218 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 162 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 150 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 19 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
Staffordshire has an estimated population of 907,153 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%), fewer students (5.6%, against 7.9%) and less private renting (15%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Staffordshire average decile 6.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Staffordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 22.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 26.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 71.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 2.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Staffordshire a safe place to live?
Staffordshire recorded 76.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 13th of the 20 counties on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Staffordshire?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 29,663 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (10,561).
Is crime in Staffordshire going up or down?
Recorded crime in Staffordshire was up 7% on the year before: 69,659 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 65,198 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Staffordshire?
About 907,153 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 23% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Staffordshire?
Staffordshire is policed by Staffordshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.