Crime in Worcestershire: statistics, rates and trends
48,472 crimes were recorded in Worcestershire in the 12 months to August 2026, 78.0 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Worcestershire at a glance
- Crime trends in Worcestershire
- Types of crime in Worcestershire
- Worcestershire compared with nearby counties
- Areas within Worcestershire
- What happened after crimes were reported in Worcestershire
- Demographics of Worcestershire
- Questions about crime in Worcestershire
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (18,708), anti-social behaviour (6,636) and shoplifting (4,744) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 11th of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Worcestershire | West Midlands | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 48,472 | 579,648 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 78.0 | 93.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 621,360 | 6,187,204 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Worcestershire of any year here (48,472 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 22%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 48,472 | 78.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 49,951 | 80.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 49,213 | 79.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 55,540 | 89.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 57,485 | 92.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 60,237 | 96.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 60,399 | 97.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 62,398 | 100.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 62,543 | 100.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,718 |
| July 2026 | 4,915 |
| June 2026 | 4,218 |
| May 2026 | 3,694 |
| April 2026 | 3,461 |
| March 2026 | 4,348 |
| February 2026 | 3,648 |
| January 2026 | 3,746 |
| December 2025 | 3,859 |
| November 2025 | 3,843 |
| October 2025 | 4,102 |
| September 2025 | 3,920 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (82% below) and drugs (46% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 416 to 556 and drugs rose from 898 to 1,093, while anti-social behaviour fell from 8,222 to 6,636 and theft from the person fell from 219 to 184.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 18,708 | 30.1 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 6,636 | 10.7 | 15.4 | -19% |
| Shoplifting | 4,744 | 7.6 | 8.5 | -2% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 3,845 | 6.2 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Other theft | 3,139 | 5.1 | 6.4 | -3% |
| Public order | 3,046 | 4.9 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Burglary | 2,416 | 3.9 | 3.6 | +10% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,223 | 3.6 | 5.0 | -16% |
| Drugs | 1,093 | 1.8 | 3.3 | +22% |
| Other crime | 1,037 | 1.7 | 2.1 | -11% |
| Robbery | 556 | 0.9 | 1.4 | +34% |
| Possession of weapons | 532 | 0.9 | 1.0 | -5% |
| Bicycle theft | 313 | 0.5 | 0.8 | -10% |
| Theft from the person | 184 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -16% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest counties have a higher crime rate than Worcestershire; the highest is Hertfordshire (86.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Oxfordshire (67.2).
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Worcestershire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warwickshire | 51,630 | 81.7 | +5% |
| Staffordshire | 69,659 | 76.8 | -2% |
| Leicestershire | 51,097 | 68.5 | -12% |
| Oxfordshire | 51,303 | 67.2 | -14% |
| Derbyshire | 66,489 | 80.8 | +4% |
| Nottinghamshire | 73,574 | 85.8 | +10% |
| Hertfordshire | 106,430 | 86.1 | +10% |
| Cambridgeshire | 54,865 | 77.2 | -1% |
Of the 6 areas within Worcestershire, Worcester had the highest crime rate (112.5 per 1,000) and Malvern Hills the lowest (56.1).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | District | 106,671 | 11,999 | 112.5 |
| Redditch | District | 87,847 | 7,685 | 87.5 |
| Wyre Forest | District | 103,913 | 8,977 | 86.4 |
| Wychavon | District | 138,017 | 8,971 | 65.0 |
| Bromsgrove | District | 101,685 | 6,174 | 60.7 |
| Malvern Hills | District | 83,227 | 4,666 | 56.1 |
Of the 41,836 crimes in Worcestershire with a recorded outcome, 24% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 6,636 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 18,467 | 44.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 10,206 | 24.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 6,562 | 15.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,392 | 5.7% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,142 | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 885 | 2.1% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 382 | 0.9% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 340 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 204 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 155 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 57 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 43 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Worcestershire has an estimated population of 621,360 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (15%, 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 Worcestershire average decile 6.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Worcestershire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 26.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 32.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 4.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Worcestershire a safe place to live?
Worcestershire recorded 78.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 11th of the 20 counties on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Worcestershire?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 18,708 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (6,636).
Is crime in Worcestershire going up or down?
Recorded crime in Worcestershire was down 3% on the year before: 48,472 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 49,951 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Worcestershire?
About 621,360 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 23% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Worcestershire?
Worcestershire is policed by West Mercia.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.