Crime in Birmingham district: statistics, rates and trends
146,681 crimes were recorded in Birmingham district in the 12 months to August 2026, 123.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Birmingham district at a glance
- Crime trends in Birmingham district
- Types of crime in Birmingham district
- Home Office recorded crime in Birmingham district
- Birmingham district compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Birmingham district
- Streets with the most crime in Birmingham district
- What happened after crimes were reported in Birmingham district
- Demographics of Birmingham district
- Fly-tipping in Birmingham
- Questions about crime in Birmingham district
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (62,950), shoplifting (12,621) and vehicle crime (12,181) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 44th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Birmingham district | West Midlands | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 146,681 | 579,648 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 123.9 | 93.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 1,183,618 | 6,187,204 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Birmingham district peaked in the year to August 2022 (173,674 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (125,509). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 17%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 146,681 | 123.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 149,731 | 126.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 154,282 | 130.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 164,450 | 138.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 173,674 | 146.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 163,970 | 138.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 132,287 | 111.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 131,428 | 111.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 125,509 | 106.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 12,917 |
| July 2026 | 14,293 |
| June 2026 | 13,327 |
| May 2026 | 13,179 |
| April 2026 | 12,100 |
| March 2026 | 12,170 |
| February 2026 | 10,669 |
| January 2026 | 11,164 |
| December 2025 | 11,324 |
| November 2025 | 11,615 |
| October 2025 | 12,116 |
| September 2025 | 11,807 |
Compared with England and Wales, Birmingham district recorded notably more possession of weapons (3.1 times the national rate), robbery (2.2 times the national rate) and vehicle crime (2.1 times the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (69% below) and bicycle theft (28% below). On the year before, theft from the person rose from 1,462 to 1,766, while anti-social behaviour fell from 12,124 to 5,598.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 62,950 | 53.2 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 12,621 | 10.7 | 8.5 | -4% |
| Vehicle crime | 12,181 | 10.3 | 5.0 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 11,365 | 9.6 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Public order | 9,174 | 7.8 | 6.7 | +13% |
| Other theft | 9,035 | 7.6 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Burglary | 6,781 | 5.7 | 3.6 | -5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 5,598 | 4.7 | 15.4 | -54% |
| Drugs | 4,799 | 4.1 | 3.3 | +2% |
| Robbery | 3,601 | 3.0 | 1.4 | +1% |
| Possession of weapons | 3,594 | 3.0 | 1.0 | +9% |
| Other crime | 2,511 | 2.1 | 2.1 | -10% |
| Theft from the person | 1,766 | 1.5 | 1.7 | +21% |
| Bicycle theft | 705 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -9% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
135,120 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Birmingham district in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 114.2 per 1,000 residents, higher than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was almost unchanged on the year ending March 2025 (136,205), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Birmingham district had the 22nd highest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 302 districts with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Of the crimes recorded in the West Midlands Police area in the year ending March 2026, 1.2% were not assigned to a district. Those crimes are counted in the force and England and Wales totals but in no district, so the figure for Birmingham district is a slight undercount.
Offences recorded in Birmingham district, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 25,795 offences (19% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for possession of weapons (2.9 times the national rate), robbery of personal property (2.4 times the national rate) and homicide (2.1 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for trafficking of drugs (0.58 times), bicycle theft (0.68 times) and theft from the person (0.71 times).
The largest rises on the year were in arson (+17%) and possession of drugs (+12%). The largest falls were in death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (from 74 to 34) and non-residential burglary (−20%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 25,795 | 21.8 | 13.2 | 1.65 | +2% |
| Stalking and harassment | 15,139 | 12.8 | 10.1 | 1.27 | +4% |
| Violence with injury | 13,640 | 11.5 | 8.1 | 1.42 | −7% |
| Shoplifting | 12,226 | 10.3 | 8.1 | 1.27 | – |
| Vehicle offences | 12,039 | 10.2 | 5.0 | 2.02 | −3% |
| Criminal damage | 10,166 | 8.6 | 6.8 | 1.26 | +0% |
| Other theft offences | 8,433 | 7.1 | 6.5 | 1.09 | −11% |
| Public order offences | 8,223 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 1.00 | −3% |
| Residential burglary | 4,971 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 1.69 | −8% |
| Possession of drugs | 3,819 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 1.29 | +12% |
| Possession of weapons | 3,364 | 2.8 | 1.00 | 2.85 | +12% |
| Other sexual offences | 3,208 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 1.19 | +3% |
| Robbery of personal property | 2,620 | 2.2 | 0.91 | 2.43 | −15% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 2,619 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 1.05 | +12% |
| Rape | 2,526 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.77 | +7% |
| Non-residential burglary | 1,634 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.23 | −20% |
| Theft from the person | 1,482 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 0.71 | +8% |
| Robbery of business property | 1,102 | 0.93 | 0.47 | 1.96 | – |
| Trafficking of drugs | 817 | 0.69 | 1.2 | 0.58 | +12% |
| Bicycle theft | 685 | 0.58 | 0.85 | 0.68 | −8% |
| Arson | 558 | 0.47 | 0.38 | 1.24 | +17% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 34 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.82 | −54% |
| Homicide | 20 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 2.11 | +82% |
Recorded crime in Birmingham district since the year ending March 2022
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2022 to 2026. Birmingham district's rate was above the England and Wales rate in every one of those 5 years. The series starts in the year ending March 2022 because the share of crimes in the West Midlands Police area not assigned to a district moved from 0.0% in the year ending March 2021 to 3.6% in the year ending March 2022, which changes district totals without any change in crime.
Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 135,120 | 114.2 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 136,205 | 115.1 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 141,232 | 119.3 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 157,589 | 133.1 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 152,611 | 128.9 | 85.4 |
Districts in the West Midlands Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 7 districts in the West Midlands Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Birmingham district had the highest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 135,120 | 114.2 | 1.37 |
| Sandwell | 33,927 | 95.9 | 1.15 |
| Walsall | 27,482 | 92.9 | 1.12 |
| Wolverhampton | 25,869 | 92.0 | 1.11 |
| Coventry | 32,606 | 88.4 | 1.06 |
| Solihull | 17,594 | 79.5 | 0.96 |
| Dudley | 24,742 | 74.5 | 0.90 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
Birmingham district has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest districts.
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Birmingham district |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solihull | 19,471 | 88.0 | -29% |
| Sandwell | 36,370 | 102.8 | -17% |
| Walsall | 30,674 | 103.7 | -16% |
| Dudley | 26,676 | 80.4 | -35% |
| Bromsgrove | 6,174 | 60.7 | -51% |
| Wolverhampton | 27,937 | 99.3 | -20% |
| North Warwickshire | 5,254 | 78.3 | -37% |
| Redditch | 7,685 | 87.5 | -29% |
Of the 71 areas within Birmingham district, Ladywood had the highest crime rate (410.7 per 1,000) and Sutton Roughley the lowest (35.0), 12 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladywood | Neighbourhood | 26,701 | 10,966 | 410.7 |
| Bordesley & Highgate | Neighbourhood | 19,588 | 6,143 | 313.6 |
| Nechells | Neighbourhood | 24,102 | 5,008 | 207.8 |
| Soho & Jewellery Quarter | Neighbourhood | 28,702 | 5,431 | 189.2 |
| Handsworth | Neighbourhood | 12,704 | 2,083 | 164.0 |
| Sutton Trinity | Neighbourhood | 8,314 | 1,271 | 152.9 |
| Perry Barr | Neighbourhood | 21,776 | 3,176 | 145.8 |
| Bordesley Green | Neighbourhood | 13,829 | 2,002 | 144.8 |
| Stockland Green | Neighbourhood | 26,714 | 3,804 | 142.4 |
| Castle Vale | Neighbourhood | 10,243 | 1,439 | 140.5 |
| Holyhead | Neighbourhood | 12,182 | 1,681 | 138.0 |
| Northfield | Neighbourhood | 11,707 | 1,615 | 138.0 |
| Newtown | Neighbourhood | 14,856 | 2,038 | 137.2 |
| South Yardley | Neighbourhood | 8,628 | 1,183 | 137.1 |
| Gravelly Hill | Neighbourhood | 9,158 | 1,254 | 136.9 |
| Pype Hayes | Neighbourhood | 11,267 | 1,539 | 136.6 |
| Heartlands | Neighbourhood | 14,019 | 1,907 | 136.0 |
| Acocks Green | Neighbourhood | 26,841 | 3,622 | 134.9 |
| Garretts Green | Neighbourhood | 9,438 | 1,255 | 133.0 |
| Yardley West & Stechford | Neighbourhood | 15,809 | 2,102 | 133.0 |
| Harborne | Neighbourhood | 24,122 | 3,157 | 130.9 |
| Erdington | Neighbourhood | 21,731 | 2,831 | 130.3 |
| Brandwood & King's Heath | Neighbourhood | 19,911 | 2,587 | 129.9 |
| Birmingham | Town | 1,150,767 | 147,772 | 128.4 |
| Glebe Farm & Tile Cross | Neighbourhood | 27,331 | 3,507 | 128.3 |
| North Edgbaston | Neighbourhood | 24,888 | 3,187 | 128.1 |
| Aston | Neighbourhood | 22,659 | 2,901 | 128.0 |
| Highter's Heath | Neighbourhood | 10,618 | 1,347 | 126.9 |
| Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East | Neighbourhood | 27,700 | 3,507 | 126.6 |
| Bromford & Hodge Hill | Neighbourhood | 23,325 | 2,885 | 123.7 |
| Sheldon | Neighbourhood | 21,969 | 2,703 | 123.0 |
| Tyseley & Hay Mills | Neighbourhood | 13,934 | 1,696 | 121.7 |
| Lozells | Neighbourhood | 13,098 | 1,574 | 120.2 |
| Frankley Great Park | Neighbourhood | 13,370 | 1,598 | 119.5 |
| King's Norton South | Neighbourhood | 12,216 | 1,441 | 118.0 |
| Birchfield | Neighbourhood | 12,544 | 1,457 | 116.2 |
| Bournville & Cotteridge | Neighbourhood | 23,641 | 2,735 | 115.7 |
| Stirchley | Neighbourhood | 9,530 | 1,079 | 113.2 |
| Longbridge & West Heath | Neighbourhood | 23,034 | 2,598 | 112.8 |
| Moseley | Neighbourhood | 23,157 | 2,606 | 112.5 |
| Shard End | Neighbourhood | 10,974 | 1,215 | 110.7 |
| Bournbrook & Selly Park | Neighbourhood | 19,746 | 2,160 | 109.4 |
| Kingstanding | Neighbourhood | 22,654 | 2,412 | 106.5 |
| Sutton Reddicap | Neighbourhood | 9,948 | 1,036 | 104.1 |
| Bartley Green | Neighbourhood | 23,615 | 2,451 | 103.8 |
| Ward End | Neighbourhood | 13,991 | 1,431 | 102.3 |
| Balsall Heath West | Neighbourhood | 12,874 | 1,305 | 101.4 |
| Perry Common | Neighbourhood | 12,760 | 1,281 | 100.4 |
| Sparkhill | Neighbourhood | 20,350 | 1,978 | 97.2 |
| Druids Heath & Monyhull | Neighbourhood | 10,455 | 1,008 | 96.4 |
| Rubery & Rednal | Neighbourhood | 9,246 | 883 | 95.5 |
| Weoley & Selly Oak | Neighbourhood | 23,232 | 2,204 | 94.9 |
| Sutton Wylde Green | Neighbourhood | 9,338 | 870 | 93.2 |
| Edgbaston | Neighbourhood | 16,546 | 1,533 | 92.7 |
| Alum Rock | Neighbourhood | 27,103 | 2,382 | 87.9 |
| King's Norton North | Neighbourhood | 10,724 | 933 | 87.0 |
| Quinton | Neighbourhood | 21,577 | 1,872 | 86.8 |
| Allens Cross | Neighbourhood | 10,298 | 893 | 86.7 |
| Hall Green North | Neighbourhood | 26,404 | 2,148 | 81.4 |
| Handsworth Wood | Neighbourhood | 20,489 | 1,664 | 81.2 |
| Billesley | Neighbourhood | 22,237 | 1,783 | 80.2 |
| Sutton Vesey | Neighbourhood | 20,051 | 1,567 | 78.2 |
| Oscott | Neighbourhood | 19,550 | 1,426 | 72.9 |
| Royal Sutton Coldfield | Town | 91,387 | 6,595 | 72.2 |
| Small Heath | Neighbourhood | 22,284 | 1,564 | 70.2 |
| Yardley East | Neighbourhood | 12,010 | 840 | 69.9 |
| Sutton Walmley & Minworth | Neighbourhood | 17,976 | 1,117 | 62.1 |
| Hall Green South | Neighbourhood | 10,288 | 486 | 47.2 |
| Sutton Four Oaks | Neighbourhood | 11,594 | 543 | 46.8 |
| Sutton Mere Green | Neighbourhood | 8,490 | 380 | 44.8 |
| Sutton Roughley | Neighbourhood | 11,458 | 401 | 35.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Birmingham district over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (7,583).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 7,583 |
| On or near Supermarket | 6,151 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 4,443 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 4,439 |
| On or near Hospital | 1,662 |
| On or near High Street | 1,169 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 1,132 |
| On or near Worcester Street | 1,080 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 1,067 |
| On or near Nightclub | 948 |
Of the 141,083 crimes in Birmingham district with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 5,598 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 55,802 | 39.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 51,458 | 36.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 12,405 | 8.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 7,085 | 5.0% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 5,164 | 3.7% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 3,831 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 3,304 | 2.3% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 1,139 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 664 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 94 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 77 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 41 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Birmingham district has an estimated population of 1,183,618 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (13.6%, against 7.9%), more unemployed residents (5.9%, against 3.4%) and more social housing (24%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Birmingham district average decile 3.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Birmingham district | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 15.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 13.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 31.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 53.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 44.6% | 10.1% (England) |
24,664 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Birmingham in 2024/25 (20.8 per 1,000 residents; the council counts only fly-tips reported by the public), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in Birmingham has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Birmingham district a safe place to live?
Birmingham district recorded 123.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 44th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Birmingham district?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 62,950 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (12,621).
Is crime in Birmingham district going up or down?
Recorded crime in Birmingham district was down 2% on the year before: 146,681 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 149,731 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Birmingham district?
About 1,183,618 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Birmingham district?
Birmingham district is policed by West Midlands.
How many crimes did the police record in Birmingham district in the year ending March 2026?
135,120 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 114.2 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 136,205.
Which offences are more common in Birmingham district than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were possession of weapons (3,364 offences, 2.9 times the England and Wales rate), robbery of personal property (2,620 offences, 2.4 times the England and Wales rate) and homicide (20 offences, 2.1 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.