Crime in Bethnal Green West: statistics, rates and trends
3,307 crimes were recorded in Bethnal Green West in the 12 months to August 2026, 169.4 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Bethnal Green West at a glance
- Crime trends in Bethnal Green West
- Types of crime in Bethnal Green West
- Bethnal Green West compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Bethnal Green West
- What happened after crimes were reported in Bethnal Green West
- Demographics of Bethnal Green West
- Questions about crime in Bethnal Green West
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (811), anti-social behaviour (770) and shoplifting (439) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 309th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Bethnal Green West | Tower Hamlets | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,307 | 48,202 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 169.4 | 145.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 19,522 | 331,886 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Bethnal Green West peaked in the year to August 2020 (4,015 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (3,218). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 14%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,307 | 169.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,218 | 164.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,310 | 169.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,000 | 204.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,882 | 198.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,966 | 203.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 4,015 | 205.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,789 | 194.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,824 | 195.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 333 |
| July 2026 | 331 |
| June 2026 | 305 |
| May 2026 | 301 |
| April 2026 | 261 |
| March 2026 | 293 |
| February 2026 | 225 |
| January 2026 | 216 |
| December 2025 | 262 |
| November 2025 | 264 |
| October 2025 | 253 |
| September 2025 | 263 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bethnal Green West recorded notably more bicycle theft (6.2 times the national rate), theft from the person (4.2 times the national rate) and robbery (3.7 times the national rate), and notably less other crime (47% below) and criminal damage and arson (42% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 242 to 439 and drugs rose from 111 to 136, while criminal damage and arson fell from 146 to 76 and theft from the person fell from 183 to 137.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 811 | 41.5 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 770 | 39.4 | 15.4 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 439 | 22.5 | 8.5 | +81% |
| Other theft | 224 | 11.5 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Public order | 197 | 10.1 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Burglary | 166 | 8.5 | 3.6 | -3% |
| Theft from the person | 137 | 7.0 | 1.7 | -25% |
| Drugs | 136 | 7.0 | 3.3 | +23% |
| Vehicle crime | 109 | 5.6 | 5.0 | -23% |
| Bicycle theft | 100 | 5.1 | 0.8 | -15% |
| Robbery | 99 | 5.1 | 1.4 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 76 | 3.9 | 6.7 | -48% |
| Other crime | 22 | 1.1 | 2.1 | -21% |
| Possession of weapons | 21 | 1.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Bethnal Green West; the highest is Spitalfields & Banglatown (247.5 per 1,000) and the lowest St Dunstan's (111.8).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bethnal Green West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weavers | 2,618 | 183.5 | +8% |
| Bethnal Green East | 4,281 | 170.5 | +1% |
| Spitalfields & Banglatown | 3,373 | 247.5 | +46% |
| Stepney Green | 1,854 | 133.3 | -21% |
| Bow West | 1,938 | 135.5 | -20% |
| St Dunstan's | 1,520 | 111.8 | -34% |
| Whitechapel | 3,157 | 151.7 | -10% |
| Shadwell | 1,917 | 129.3 | -24% |
The 10 locations below account for 37% of the crime recorded in Bethnal Green West over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Mare Street” (336).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Mare Street | 336 |
| On or near Cambridge Heath Road | 182 |
| On or near Ainsley Street | 127 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 96 |
| On or near Rushmead | 93 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 91 |
| On or near Birkbeck Street | 82 |
| On or near Headlam Street | 70 |
| On or near Seabright Street | 69 |
| On or near Supermarket | 69 |
Of the 2,537 crimes in Bethnal Green West with a recorded outcome, 47% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 770 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,205 | 47.5% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 590 | 23.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 269 | 10.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 161 | 6.3% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 153 | 6.0% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 69 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 45 | 1.8% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 20 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 11 | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 7 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Bethnal Green West has an estimated population of 19,522 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (70%, against 23%), more social housing (40%, against 17%) and more private renting (35%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bethnal Green West average decile 2.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Bethnal Green West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 6.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 6.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 13.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 48.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 69.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 23.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 40.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 35.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 15.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Bethnal Green West a safe place to live?
Bethnal Green West recorded 169.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 309th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and theft from the person.
What is the most common crime in Bethnal Green West?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 811 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (770).
Is crime in Bethnal Green West going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bethnal Green West was up 3% on the year before: 3,307 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,218 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bethnal Green West?
About 19,522 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 6.3% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bethnal Green West?
Bethnal Green West 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.