Crime in Woking district: statistics, rates and trends
7,636 crimes were recorded in Woking district in the 12 months to August 2026, 72.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Woking district at a glance
- Crime trends in Woking district
- Types of crime in Woking district
- Home Office recorded crime in Woking district
- Woking district compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Woking district
- Streets with the most crime in Woking district
- What happened after crimes were reported in Woking district
- Demographics of Woking district
- Fly-tipping in Woking
- Questions about crime in Woking district
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,899), anti-social behaviour (1,213) and public order (672) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 209th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Woking district | Surrey | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 7,636 | 87,794 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 72.3 | 70.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 105,679 | 1,248,649 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Woking district peaked in the year to August 2020 (9,451 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (7,499). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 15%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 7,636 | 72.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 7,770 | 73.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 7,687 | 72.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 7,499 | 71.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 8,025 | 75.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 8,503 | 80.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 9,451 | 89.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 9,248 | 87.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 8,991 | 85.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 656 |
| July 2026 | 717 |
| June 2026 | 714 |
| May 2026 | 721 |
| April 2026 | 672 |
| March 2026 | 615 |
| February 2026 | 510 |
| January 2026 | 543 |
| December 2025 | 555 |
| November 2025 | 606 |
| October 2025 | 685 |
| September 2025 | 642 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (76% below) and vehicle crime (55% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 49 to 74 and possession of weapons rose from 69 to 92, while vehicle crime fell from 324 to 236 and public order fell from 816 to 672.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,899 | 27.4 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,213 | 11.5 | 15.4 | -1% |
| Public order | 672 | 6.4 | 6.7 | -18% |
| Shoplifting | 669 | 6.3 | 8.5 | +33% |
| Other theft | 548 | 5.2 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 542 | 5.1 | 6.7 | -15% |
| Vehicle crime | 236 | 2.2 | 5.0 | -27% |
| Burglary | 201 | 1.9 | 3.6 | -6% |
| Drugs | 188 | 1.8 | 3.3 | -11% |
| Other crime | 167 | 1.6 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Bicycle theft | 93 | 0.9 | 0.8 | +27% |
| Possession of weapons | 92 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +33% |
| Robbery | 74 | 0.7 | 1.4 | +51% |
| Theft from the person | 42 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -7% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6,585 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Woking district in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 62.3 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was up 5% on the year ending March 2025 (6,301), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Woking district had the 90th lowest 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).
Offences recorded in Woking district, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 1,280 offences (19% of the total). No category with at least 20 offences had a rate a quarter or more above the England and Wales rate. Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.20 times), robbery of personal property (0.36 times) and non-residential burglary (0.41 times).
The largest rises on the year were in possession of weapons (+72%) and arson (+42%). The largest falls were in theft from the person (−29%) and trafficking of drugs (−28%). 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 | 1,280 | 12.1 | 13.2 | 0.92 | +7% |
| Public order offences | 741 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 1.01 | −6% |
| Stalking and harassment | 725 | 6.9 | 10.1 | 0.68 | +7% |
| Shoplifting | 643 | 6.1 | 8.1 | 0.75 | – |
| Violence with injury | 611 | 5.8 | 8.1 | 0.71 | +4% |
| Criminal damage | 567 | 5.4 | 6.8 | 0.79 | +5% |
| Other theft offences | 562 | 5.3 | 6.5 | 0.81 | 0% |
| Vehicle offences | 280 | 2.6 | 5.0 | 0.53 | −10% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 173 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.78 | +18% |
| Residential burglary | 171 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 0.65 | +29% |
| Other sexual offences | 159 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.66 | −6% |
| Possession of drugs | 134 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 0.51 | +6% |
| Bicycle theft | 92 | 0.87 | 0.85 | 1.02 | +30% |
| Possession of weapons | 91 | 0.86 | 1.00 | 0.86 | +72% |
| Rape | 88 | 0.83 | 1.2 | 0.69 | −5% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 76 | 0.72 | 1.2 | 0.61 | −28% |
| Non-residential burglary | 48 | 0.45 | 1.1 | 0.41 | −25% |
| Theft from the person | 37 | 0.35 | 1.8 | 0.20 | −29% |
| Robbery of personal property | 35 | 0.33 | 0.91 | 0.36 | +6% |
| Arson | 34 | 0.32 | 0.38 | 0.85 | +42% |
| Robbery of business property | 34 | 0.32 | 0.47 | 0.68 | – |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 4 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 1.09 | −33% |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | – |
Recorded crime in Woking district since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. Woking district's rate was below the England and Wales rate in every one of those 14 years. 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 | 6,585 | 62.3 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 6,301 | 59.6 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 6,745 | 63.8 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 6,450 | 61.0 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 6,651 | 62.9 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 6,181 | 58.5 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 7,330 | 69.4 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 7,605 | 72.0 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 7,373 | 69.8 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 5,799 | 54.9 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 5,335 | 50.5 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 4,315 | 40.8 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 4,353 | 41.2 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 4,874 | 46.1 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Surrey Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 11 districts in the Surrey Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Woking district had the 5th highest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spelthorne | 8,066 | 75.3 | 0.91 |
| Guildford | 10,913 | 72.1 | 0.87 |
| Runnymede | 6,600 | 71.6 | 0.86 |
| Epsom and Ewell | 5,584 | 67.0 | 0.81 |
| Woking | 6,585 | 62.3 | 0.75 |
| Reigate and Banstead | 9,511 | 59.8 | 0.72 |
| Mole Valley | 4,822 | 54.4 | 0.65 |
| Tandridge | 4,884 | 53.9 | 0.65 |
| Surrey Heath | 4,886 | 51.7 | 0.62 |
| Elmbridge | 7,310 | 51.5 | 0.62 |
| Waverley | 5,036 | 37.5 | 0.45 |
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.
4 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Woking district; the highest is Spelthorne (86.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Elmbridge (61.2).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Woking district |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guildford | 12,259 | 81.0 | +12% |
| Runnymede | 7,909 | 85.9 | +19% |
| Surrey Heath | 5,835 | 61.8 | -15% |
| Elmbridge | 8,690 | 61.2 | -15% |
| Spelthorne | 9,305 | 86.9 | +20% |
| Rushmoor | 8,273 | 78.2 | +8% |
| Bracknell Forest | 8,590 | 65.7 | -9% |
| Mole Valley | 5,798 | 65.4 | -10% |
Of the 13 areas within Woking district, St John's had the highest crime rate (145.2 per 1,000) and Pyrford the lowest (34.4), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St John's | Neighbourhood | 11,374 | 1,652 | 145.2 |
| Knaphill | Neighbourhood | 10,639 | 1,113 | 104.6 |
| Canalside | Neighbourhood | 10,836 | 908 | 83.8 |
| Woking | Town | 73,900 | 5,933 | 80.3 |
| Hoe Valley | Neighbourhood | 9,036 | 695 | 76.9 |
| Goldsworth Park | Neighbourhood | 9,200 | 599 | 65.1 |
| Byfleet | Town | 13,212 | 825 | 62.4 |
| Byfleet and West Byfleet | Neighbourhood | 12,551 | 679 | 54.1 |
| Mount Hermon | Neighbourhood | 12,626 | 679 | 53.8 |
| Heathlands | Neighbourhood | 10,314 | 533 | 51.7 |
| Brookwood | Town | 1,236 | 58 | 46.9 |
| Horsell | Neighbourhood | 10,739 | 490 | 45.6 |
| Pyrford | Neighbourhood | 8,364 | 288 | 34.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Woking district over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (512).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 512 |
| On or near Alexandra Gardens | 345 |
| On or near Supermarket | 334 |
| On or near Chapel Street | 123 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 119 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 117 |
| On or near The Broadway | 99 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 85 |
| On or near Nightclub | 84 |
| On or near Addison Road | 74 |
Of the 6,423 crimes in Woking district with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,213 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,622 | 40.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,925 | 30.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 863 | 13.4% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 319 | 5.0% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 235 | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 175 | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 127 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 45 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 45 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 44 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 13 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Woking district has an estimated population of 105,679 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (15%, against 23%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (45%, against 34%) and less social housing (12%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Woking district average decile 7.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Woking district | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 44.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.6 | 5.5 (England) |
1,501 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Woking in 2024/25 (14.2 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 Woking has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Woking district a safe place to live?
Woking district recorded 72.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 209th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Woking district?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,899 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,213).
Is crime in Woking district going up or down?
Recorded crime in Woking district was down 2% on the year before: 7,636 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 7,770 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Woking district?
About 105,679 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Woking district?
Woking district is policed by Surrey.
How many crimes did the police record in Woking district in the year ending March 2026?
6,585 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 62.3 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 6,301.
Which offences are more common in Woking district than across England and Wales?
None: no category with at least 20 offences had a rate a quarter or more above the England and Wales rate in the year ending March 2026. The largest category was violence without injury (1,280).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.