Crime in Barnsbury: statistics, rates and trends
2,332 crimes were recorded in Barnsbury in the 12 months to August 2026, 206.8 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Barnsbury at a glance
- Crime trends in Barnsbury
- Types of crime in Barnsbury
- Barnsbury compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Barnsbury
- What happened after crimes were reported in Barnsbury
- Demographics of Barnsbury
- Questions about crime in Barnsbury
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (550), anti-social behaviour (423) and public order (255) made up 53% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 185th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Barnsbury | Islington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,332 | 41,297 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 206.8 | 185.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 11,277 | 223,024 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Barnsbury of any year here (2,332 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 31%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,332 | 206.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,229 | 197.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,240 | 198.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,990 | 176.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,070 | 183.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,779 | 157.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,943 | 172.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,093 | 185.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,782 | 158.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 212 |
| July 2026 | 230 |
| June 2026 | 185 |
| May 2026 | 159 |
| April 2026 | 176 |
| March 2026 | 223 |
| February 2026 | 173 |
| January 2026 | 214 |
| December 2025 | 172 |
| November 2025 | 194 |
| October 2025 | 186 |
| September 2025 | 208 |
Compared with England and Wales, Barnsbury recorded notably more theft from the person (7.9 times the national rate), robbery (5.3 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (5.3 times the national rate). On the year before, drugs rose from 100 to 147 and robbery rose from 57 to 81, while criminal damage and arson fell from 117 to 64 and shoplifting fell from 260 to 182.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 550 | 48.8 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 423 | 37.5 | 15.4 | +34% |
| Public order | 255 | 22.6 | 6.7 | +41% |
| Other theft | 244 | 21.6 | 6.4 | +5% |
| Shoplifting | 182 | 16.1 | 8.5 | -30% |
| Theft from the person | 149 | 13.2 | 1.7 | -17% |
| Drugs | 147 | 13.0 | 3.3 | +47% |
| Robbery | 81 | 7.2 | 1.4 | +42% |
| Vehicle crime | 75 | 6.7 | 5.0 | -29% |
| Burglary | 74 | 6.6 | 3.6 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 64 | 5.7 | 6.7 | -45% |
| Bicycle theft | 49 | 4.3 | 0.8 | -6% |
| Other crime | 22 | 2.0 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 17 | 1.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Barnsbury; the highest is Caledonian (252.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Highbury (109.8).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Barnsbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caledonian | 3,015 | 252.4 | +22% |
| Laycock | 3,095 | 180.8 | -13% |
| St Mary's & St James' | 2,549 | 219.3 | +6% |
| St Peter's & Canalside | 2,158 | 154.2 | -25% |
| Clerkenwell | 2,957 | 249.2 | +20% |
| Canonbury | 1,296 | 112.8 | -45% |
| Holloway | 1,918 | 176.8 | -15% |
| Highbury | 1,494 | 109.8 | -47% |
The 10 locations below account for 54% of the crime recorded in Barnsbury over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Grant Street” (325).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Grant Street | 325 |
| On or near Chapel Market | 186 |
| On or near Supermarket | 156 |
| On or near Hermes Street | 154 |
| On or near White Lion Street | 120 |
| On or near Bingfield Street | 96 |
| On or near Pentonville Road | 84 |
| On or near Angel Mews | 50 |
| On or near Copenhagen Street | 49 |
| On or near Chapel Place | 46 |
Of the 1,909 crimes in Barnsbury with a recorded outcome, 43% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 423 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 814 | 42.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 495 | 25.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 181 | 9.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 168 | 8.8% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 124 | 6.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 49 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 35 | 1.8% | 3.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 20 | 1.0% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 8 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 8 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 6 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Barnsbury has an estimated population of 11,277 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (64%, against 23%), more social housing (33%, against 17%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (63%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Barnsbury average decile 4.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Barnsbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 12.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 66.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 11.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 62.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 63.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 32.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 33.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 34.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.1 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Barnsbury a safe place to live?
Barnsbury recorded 206.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 185th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were theft from the person and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Barnsbury?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 550 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (423).
Is crime in Barnsbury going up or down?
Recorded crime in Barnsbury was up 5% on the year before: 2,332 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,229 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Barnsbury?
About 11,277 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Barnsbury?
Barnsbury is policed by Metropolitan Police.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.