Crime in Sholing: statistics, rates and trends
1,186 crimes were recorded in Sholing in the 12 months to August 2026, 86.1 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (410), shoplifting (274) and public order (100) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,638th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Sholing | Southampton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,186 | 34,688 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 86.1 | 133.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 13,781 | 259,424 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Sholing peaked in the year to August 2024 (1,234 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (1,012). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 12%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,186 | 86.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,155 | 83.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,234 | 89.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,177 | 85.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,025 | 74.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,033 | 75.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,095 | 79.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,012 | 73.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,057 | 76.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 111 |
| July 2026 | 111 |
| June 2026 | 90 |
| May 2026 | 109 |
| April 2026 | 110 |
| March 2026 | 104 |
| February 2026 | 84 |
| January 2026 | 95 |
| December 2025 | 91 |
| November 2025 | 115 |
| October 2025 | 91 |
| September 2025 | 75 |
Compared with England and Wales, Sholing recorded notably more shoplifting (2.4 times the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (59% below) and other theft (45% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 144 to 274 and burglary rose from 26 to 49, while violence and sexual offences fell from 552 to 410 and vehicle crime fell from 61 to 49.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 410 | 29.8 | 34.2 | -26% |
| Shoplifting | 274 | 19.9 | 8.5 | +90% |
| Public order | 100 | 7.3 | 6.7 | +19% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 86 | 6.2 | 15.4 | -13% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 83 | 6.0 | 6.7 | +17% |
| Burglary | 49 | 3.6 | 3.6 | +88% |
| Other theft | 49 | 3.6 | 6.4 | +44% |
| Vehicle crime | 49 | 3.6 | 5.0 | -20% |
| Other crime | 34 | 2.5 | 2.1 | +36% |
| Drugs | 18 | 1.3 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Robbery | 14 | 1.0 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 11 | 0.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Sholing; the highest is Bargate (269.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Bitterne Park (72.7).
The 10 locations below account for 42% of the crime recorded in Sholing over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Worcester Place” (128).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Worcester Place | 128 |
| On or near South East Road | 114 |
| On or near Supermarket | 71 |
| On or near Swanmore Avenue | 35 |
| On or near Anson Drive | 33 |
| On or near Dairy Close | 28 |
| On or near Calderwood Drive | 27 |
| On or near Cox'S Drive | 22 |
| On or near Botany Bay Road | 21 |
| On or near Landseer Road | 19 |
Of the 1,100 crimes in Sholing with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 86 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 399 | 36.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 333 | 30.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 123 | 11.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 93 | 8.5% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 45 | 4.1% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 45 | 4.1% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 30 | 2.7% | 4.7% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 13 | 1.2% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
Sholing has an estimated population of 13,781 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.7%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (23%, against 34%) and less social housing (12%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Sholing average decile 5.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Sholing | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Sholing a safe place to live?
Sholing recorded 86.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,638th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Sholing?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 410 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (274).
Is crime in Sholing going up or down?
Recorded crime in Sholing was up 3% on the year before: 1,186 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,155 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Sholing?
About 13,781 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Sholing?
Sholing is policed by Hampshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.