Crime in Thanet: statistics, rates and trends
16,491 crimes were recorded in Thanet in the 12 months to August 2026, 115.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Thanet at a glance
- Crime trends in Thanet
- Types of crime in Thanet
- Thanet compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Thanet
- Streets with the most crime in Thanet
- What happened after crimes were reported in Thanet
- Demographics of Thanet
- Fly-tipping in Thanet
- Questions about crime in Thanet
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (6,540), anti-social behaviour (3,177) and criminal damage and arson (1,462) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 56th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Thanet | Kent | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 16,491 | 145,778 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 115.6 | 88.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 142,691 | 1,639,029 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Thanet of any year here (16,491 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 32%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 16,491 | 115.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 17,108 | 119.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 17,053 | 119.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 18,369 | 128.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 20,415 | 143.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 21,180 | 148.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 22,659 | 158.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 22,423 | 157.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 24,081 | 168.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,684 |
| July 2026 | 1,532 |
| June 2026 | 1,388 |
| May 2026 | 1,579 |
| April 2026 | 1,328 |
| March 2026 | 1,474 |
| February 2026 | 1,185 |
| January 2026 | 1,304 |
| December 2025 | 1,322 |
| November 2025 | 1,231 |
| October 2025 | 1,276 |
| September 2025 | 1,188 |
Compared with England and Wales, Thanet recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (52% above the national rate), drugs (49% above the national rate) and other crime (45% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (75% below) and burglary (43% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 98 to 153 and anti-social behaviour rose from 2,702 to 3,177, while burglary fell from 440 to 291 and theft from the person fell from 83 to 61.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 6,540 | 45.8 | 34.2 | -10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,177 | 22.3 | 15.4 | +18% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,462 | 10.2 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Shoplifting | 1,200 | 8.4 | 8.5 | -3% |
| Other theft | 1,012 | 7.1 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Drugs | 698 | 4.9 | 3.3 | +12% |
| Public order | 689 | 4.8 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Vehicle crime | 488 | 3.4 | 5.0 | -20% |
| Other crime | 438 | 3.1 | 2.1 | -9% |
| Burglary | 291 | 2.0 | 3.6 | -34% |
| Possession of weapons | 177 | 1.2 | 1.0 | +2% |
| Robbery | 153 | 1.1 | 1.4 | +56% |
| Bicycle theft | 105 | 0.7 | 0.8 | -8% |
| Theft from the person | 61 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -27% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Thanet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 10,506 | 87.7 | -24% |
| Canterbury | 17,480 | 107.8 | -7% |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 9,645 | 85.8 | -26% |
| Swale | 15,704 | 99.2 | -14% |
| Ashford | 10,895 | 77.3 | -33% |
| Southend-on-Sea | 21,255 | 114.7 | -1% |
| Tendring | 14,944 | 95.3 | -18% |
| Rochford | 4,605 | 51.3 | -56% |
Of the 29 areas within Thanet, Margate Central had the highest crime rate (395.2 per 1,000) and Birchington North the lowest (30.4), 13 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margate Central | Neighbourhood | 6,267 | 2,477 | 395.2 |
| Eastcliff | Neighbourhood | 8,487 | 1,456 | 171.6 |
| Northwood | Neighbourhood | 6,596 | 1,086 | 164.6 |
| Central Harbour | Neighbourhood | 8,852 | 1,376 | 155.4 |
| Newington | Neighbourhood | 5,931 | 900 | 151.7 |
| Cliftonville West | Neighbourhood | 10,141 | 1,417 | 139.7 |
| Salmestone | Neighbourhood | 5,742 | 794 | 138.3 |
| Ramsgate | Town | 42,777 | 5,841 | 136.5 |
| Margate | Town | 63,799 | 7,858 | 123.2 |
| Dane Valley | Neighbourhood | 7,755 | 867 | 111.8 |
| Westbrook | Neighbourhood | 4,467 | 457 | 102.3 |
| Bradstowe | Neighbourhood | 3,795 | 383 | 100.9 |
| Thanet Villages | Neighbourhood | 9,061 | 802 | 88.5 |
| Nethercourt | Neighbourhood | 4,801 | 408 | 85.0 |
| Garlinge | Neighbourhood | 4,973 | 411 | 82.6 |
| St Peters | Neighbourhood | 7,241 | 597 | 82.4 |
| Westgate-on-Sea | Neighbourhood | 7,451 | 594 | 79.7 |
| Minster (Thanet) | Town | 4,671 | 372 | 79.6 |
| Sir Moses Montefiore | Neighbourhood | 5,034 | 385 | 76.5 |
| Broadstairs | Town | 24,886 | 1,854 | 74.5 |
| Cliffsend and Pegwell | Neighbourhood | 5,244 | 366 | 69.8 |
| Beacon Road | Neighbourhood | 4,689 | 327 | 69.7 |
| St Nicholas at Wade | Town | 2,016 | 137 | 68.0 |
| Birchington South | Neighbourhood | 6,618 | 447 | 67.5 |
| Viking | Neighbourhood | 7,018 | 457 | 65.1 |
| Cliffs End | Town | 2,168 | 136 | 62.7 |
| Cliftonville East | Neighbourhood | 6,498 | 276 | 42.5 |
| Kingsgate | Neighbourhood | 2,143 | 90 | 42.0 |
| Birchington North | Neighbourhood | 3,887 | 118 | 30.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Thanet over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (655).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 655 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 551 |
| On or near Parking Area | 442 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 343 |
| On or near Police Station | 334 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 158 |
| On or near Drapers Avenue | 138 |
| On or near Queen Street | 124 |
| On or near Mill Lane | 117 |
| On or near Belmont Street | 110 |
Of the 13,314 crimes in Thanet with a recorded outcome, 31% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 3,177 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,588 | 42.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 4,126 | 31.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,071 | 8.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 865 | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 544 | 4.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 349 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 290 | 2.2% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 227 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 183 | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 42 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 16 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 11 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Thanet has an estimated population of 142,691 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%), less social housing (12%, against 17%) and more private renting (26%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Thanet average decile 3.7 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Thanet | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 27.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 26.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 26.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 20.0% | 10.1% (England) |
2,578 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Thanet in 2024/25 (18.1 per 1,000 residents, against 21.1 across the councils in England that count all incidents), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in Thanet has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Thanet a safe place to live?
Thanet recorded 115.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 56th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson and drugs.
What is the most common crime in Thanet?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 6,540 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (3,177).
Is crime in Thanet going up or down?
Recorded crime in Thanet was down 4% on the year before: 16,491 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 17,108 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Thanet?
About 142,691 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Thanet?
Thanet is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.