Crime in Bloomsbury: statistics, rates and trends
8,873 crimes were recorded in Bloomsbury in the 12 months to August 2026, 601.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Bloomsbury at a glance
- Crime trends in Bloomsbury
- Types of crime in Bloomsbury
- Bloomsbury compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Bloomsbury
- What happened after crimes were reported in Bloomsbury
- Demographics of Bloomsbury
- Questions about crime in Bloomsbury
- About this data
Crime map
Other theft (2,004), theft from the person (1,769) and anti-social behaviour (1,474) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 11th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Bloomsbury | Camden | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 8,873 | 46,679 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 601.9 | 215.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -7% | -1% |
| Population | 14,741 | 216,943 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Bloomsbury peaked in the year to August 2019 (9,874 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (5,866). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 8,873 | 601.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 9,406 | 638.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 9,707 | 658.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 9,741 | 660.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 7,716 | 523.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 5,866 | 397.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 8,121 | 550.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 9,874 | 669.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 8,077 | 547.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 662 |
| July 2026 | 733 |
| June 2026 | 686 |
| May 2026 | 798 |
| April 2026 | 733 |
| March 2026 | 701 |
| February 2026 | 687 |
| January 2026 | 665 |
| December 2025 | 774 |
| November 2025 | 865 |
| October 2025 | 831 |
| September 2025 | 738 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bloomsbury recorded notably more theft from the person (71.3 times the national rate), other theft (21.1 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (20.0 times the national rate). On the year before, drugs rose from 94 to 155 and violence and sexual offences rose from 974 to 1,226, while vehicle crime fell from 164 to 109 and theft from the person fell from 2,554 to 1,769.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other theft | 2,004 | 135.9 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Theft from the person | 1,769 | 120.0 | 1.7 | -31% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,474 | 100.0 | 15.4 | -1% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,226 | 83.2 | 34.2 | +26% |
| Shoplifting | 735 | 49.9 | 8.5 | +21% |
| Public order | 402 | 27.3 | 6.7 | +0% |
| Burglary | 304 | 20.6 | 3.6 | +10% |
| Robbery | 252 | 17.1 | 1.4 | -3% |
| Bicycle theft | 243 | 16.5 | 0.8 | +9% |
| Drugs | 155 | 10.5 | 3.3 | +65% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 142 | 9.6 | 6.7 | -25% |
| Vehicle crime | 109 | 7.4 | 5.0 | -34% |
| Other crime | 31 | 2.1 | 2.1 | +19% |
| Possession of weapons | 27 | 1.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Bloomsbury; the highest is Camden Town (667.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Primrose Hill (126.0).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bloomsbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holborn & Covent Garden | 5,862 | 566.8 | -6% |
| King's Cross | 3,760 | 314.0 | -48% |
| Regent's Park | 3,086 | 244.5 | -59% |
| St Pancras & Somers Town | 2,721 | 183.2 | -70% |
| Camden Town | 3,323 | 667.1 | +11% |
| Camden Square | 1,122 | 140.8 | -77% |
| Kentish Town South | 1,325 | 131.7 | -78% |
| Primrose Hill | 1,763 | 126.0 | -79% |
The 10 locations below account for 43% of the crime recorded in Bloomsbury over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (617).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 617 |
| On or near Hospital | 533 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 505 |
| On or near Whitfield Place | 459 |
| On or near Nightclub | 397 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 354 |
| On or near Dyott Street | 277 |
| On or near Russell Square | 261 |
| On or near B506 | 244 |
| On or near Bidborough Street | 203 |
Of the 7,399 crimes in Bloomsbury with a recorded outcome, 68% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,474 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 5,049 | 68.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,140 | 15.4% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 533 | 7.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 268 | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 251 | 3.4% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 76 | 1.0% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 48 | 0.6% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 11 | 0.1% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 10 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 3 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Bloomsbury has an estimated population of 14,741 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (38.8%, against 7.9%), more households without a car (82%, against 23%) and more private renting (41%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bloomsbury average decile 4.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Bloomsbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 5.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 8.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 43.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 9.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 38.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 48.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 8.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 81.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 23.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 34.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 41.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Bloomsbury a safe place to live?
Bloomsbury recorded 601.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 11th 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 other theft.
What is the most common crime in Bloomsbury?
Other theft was the most common category, with 2,004 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by theft from the person (1,769).
Is crime in Bloomsbury going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bloomsbury was down 6% on the year before: 8,873 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 9,406 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bloomsbury?
About 14,741 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 8.9% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bloomsbury?
Bloomsbury 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.