Crime in West Sussex: statistics, rates and trends
76,272 crimes were recorded in West Sussex in the 12 months to August 2026, 83.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (24,029), anti-social behaviour (16,486) and shoplifting (8,389) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 7th of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | West Sussex | South East | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 76,272 | 787,517 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 83.4 | 81.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 915,037 | 9,642,942 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in West Sussex of any year here (76,272 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 14%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 76,272 | 83.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 73,681 | 80.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 74,423 | 81.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 73,120 | 79.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 69,085 | 75.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 73,449 | 80.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 72,988 | 79.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 69,968 | 76.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 66,998 | 73.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 7,378 |
| July 2026 | 7,477 |
| June 2026 | 6,954 |
| May 2026 | 7,010 |
| April 2026 | 6,497 |
| March 2026 | 6,510 |
| February 2026 | 5,439 |
| January 2026 | 5,508 |
| December 2025 | 5,536 |
| November 2025 | 5,762 |
| October 2025 | 6,233 |
| September 2025 | 5,968 |
Compared with England and Wales, West Sussex recorded notably more possession of weapons (59% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (79% below) and vehicle crime (42% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 12,198 to 16,486 and robbery rose from 580 to 755, while theft from the person fell from 432 to 317 and bicycle theft fell from 685 to 551.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 24,029 | 26.3 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 16,486 | 18.0 | 15.4 | +35% |
| Shoplifting | 8,389 | 9.2 | 8.5 | -4% |
| Public order | 5,973 | 6.5 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5,663 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Other theft | 4,549 | 5.0 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,623 | 2.9 | 5.0 | -19% |
| Drugs | 2,053 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 0% |
| Burglary | 2,022 | 2.2 | 3.6 | -16% |
| Other crime | 1,453 | 1.6 | 2.1 | -12% |
| Possession of weapons | 1,409 | 1.5 | 1.0 | +6% |
| Robbery | 755 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +30% |
| Bicycle theft | 551 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -20% |
| Theft from the person | 317 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -27% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest counties have a higher crime rate than West Sussex; the highest is East Sussex (91.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Hampshire (64.7).
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs West Sussex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey | 87,794 | 70.3 | -16% |
| East Sussex | 51,507 | 91.8 | +10% |
| Hampshire | 93,650 | 64.7 | -22% |
| Kent | 145,778 | 88.9 | +7% |
| Hertfordshire | 106,430 | 86.1 | +3% |
| Oxfordshire | 51,303 | 67.2 | -19% |
| Essex | 125,970 | 80.6 | -3% |
| Cambridgeshire | 54,865 | 77.2 | -7% |
Of the 7 areas within West Sussex, Crawley had the highest crime rate (129.6 per 1,000) and Horsham the lowest (57.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawley | District | 124,008 | 16,073 | 129.6 |
| Worthing | District | 113,866 | 11,569 | 101.6 |
| Arun | District | 170,064 | 15,129 | 89.0 |
| Chichester | District | 128,934 | 10,452 | 81.1 |
| Adur | District | 64,889 | 4,575 | 70.5 |
| Mid Sussex | District | 161,755 | 9,839 | 60.8 |
| Horsham | District | 151,521 | 8,635 | 57.0 |
Of the 59,786 crimes in West Sussex with a recorded outcome, 44% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 16,486 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 26,130 | 43.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 18,217 | 30.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 5,489 | 9.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 3,151 | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 2,054 | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,906 | 3.2% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,356 | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 597 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 410 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 176 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 175 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 119 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
West Sussex has an estimated population of 915,037 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.4%, against 7.9%), fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%) and less social housing (13%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up West Sussex average decile 6.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | West Sussex | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 26.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 32.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 1.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is West Sussex a safe place to live?
West Sussex recorded 83.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 7th of the 20 counties on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in West Sussex?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 24,029 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (16,486).
Is crime in West Sussex going up or down?
Recorded crime in West Sussex was up 4% on the year before: 76,272 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 73,681 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of West Sussex?
About 915,037 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 23% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers West Sussex?
West Sussex is policed by Sussex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.