Crime in Highbury: statistics, rates and trends
1,494 crimes were recorded in Highbury in the 12 months to August 2026, 109.8 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Anti-social behaviour (327), violence and sexual offences (318) and theft from the person (150) made up 53% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,015th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Highbury | Islington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,494 | 41,297 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 109.8 | 185.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -5% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 13,602 | 223,024 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Highbury peaked in the year to August 2020 (2,033 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (1,478). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,494 | 109.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,572 | 115.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,510 | 111.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,478 | 108.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,684 | 123.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,861 | 136.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,033 | 149.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,713 | 125.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,506 | 110.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 115 |
| July 2026 | 136 |
| June 2026 | 140 |
| May 2026 | 139 |
| April 2026 | 99 |
| March 2026 | 136 |
| February 2026 | 123 |
| January 2026 | 127 |
| December 2025 | 104 |
| November 2025 | 142 |
| October 2025 | 103 |
| September 2025 | 130 |
Compared with England and Wales, Highbury recorded notably more theft from the person (6.6 times the national rate), bicycle theft (5.4 times the national rate) and robbery (3.1 times the national rate), and notably less violence and sexual offences (32% below) and criminal damage and arson (27% below). On the year before, public order rose from 70 to 111 and drugs rose from 71 to 98, while robbery fell from 114 to 57 and vehicle crime fell from 140 to 83.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | 327 | 24.0 | 15.4 | +7% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 318 | 23.4 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Theft from the person | 150 | 11.0 | 1.7 | -7% |
| Other theft | 115 | 8.5 | 6.4 | -20% |
| Public order | 111 | 8.2 | 6.7 | +59% |
| Drugs | 98 | 7.2 | 3.3 | +38% |
| Vehicle crime | 83 | 6.1 | 5.0 | -41% |
| Burglary | 72 | 5.3 | 3.6 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 67 | 4.9 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Bicycle theft | 61 | 4.5 | 0.8 | -24% |
| Robbery | 57 | 4.2 | 1.4 | -50% |
| Shoplifting | 14 | 1.0 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Other crime | 13 | 1.0 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.6 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Highbury; the highest is Finsbury Park (238.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Mildmay (99.4).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Highbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 2,225 | 160.2 | +46% |
| Mildmay | 1,352 | 99.4 | -10% |
| Laycock | 3,095 | 180.8 | +65% |
| Canonbury | 1,296 | 112.8 | +3% |
| Finsbury Park | 3,494 | 238.8 | +117% |
| Holloway | 1,918 | 176.8 | +61% |
| St Mary's & St James' | 2,549 | 219.3 | +100% |
| Tollington | 3,136 | 215.3 | +96% |
The 10 locations below account for 43% of the crime recorded in Highbury over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Theatre/Concert Hall” (103).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 103 |
| On or near Collins Road | 101 |
| On or near Calabria Road | 91 |
| On or near Highbury Quadrant | 63 |
| On or near Fieldway Crescent | 58 |
| On or near Catherall Road | 57 |
| On or near Holmcote Gardens | 51 |
| On or near Nightclub | 49 |
| On or near Gallia Road | 39 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 36 |
Of the 1,167 crimes in Highbury with a recorded outcome, 52% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 327 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 606 | 51.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 281 | 24.1% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 112 | 9.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 81 | 6.9% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 35 | 3.0% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 18 | 1.5% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 13 | 1.1% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 9 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 1 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Highbury has an estimated population of 13,602 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (58%, against 23%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (65%, against 34%) and more social housing (30%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Highbury average decile 5.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Highbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 68.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 10.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 65.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 10.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 58.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 39.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 29.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 30.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Highbury a safe place to live?
Highbury recorded 109.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,015th 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 bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Highbury?
Anti-social behaviour was the most common category, with 327 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by violence and sexual offences (318).
Is crime in Highbury going up or down?
Recorded crime in Highbury was down 5% on the year before: 1,494 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,572 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Highbury?
About 13,602 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 11% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Highbury?
Highbury 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.