Crime in Sparkhill: statistics, rates and trends
1,978 crimes were recorded in Sparkhill in the 12 months to August 2026, 97.2 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Sparkhill at a glance
- Crime trends in Sparkhill
- Types of crime in Sparkhill
- Sparkhill compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Sparkhill
- What happened after crimes were reported in Sparkhill
- Demographics of Sparkhill
- Questions about crime in Sparkhill
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,087), criminal damage and arson (159) and other theft (123) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,304th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Sparkhill | Birmingham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,978 | 146,681 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 97.2 | 123.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 20,350 | 1,183,618 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Sparkhill peaked in the year to August 2022 (2,462 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,321). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 50%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,978 | 97.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,035 | 100.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,080 | 102.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,324 | 114.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,462 | 121.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,257 | 110.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,588 | 78.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,543 | 75.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,321 | 64.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 173 |
| July 2026 | 187 |
| June 2026 | 189 |
| May 2026 | 178 |
| April 2026 | 165 |
| March 2026 | 162 |
| February 2026 | 162 |
| January 2026 | 155 |
| December 2025 | 151 |
| November 2025 | 153 |
| October 2025 | 145 |
| September 2025 | 158 |
Compared with England and Wales, Sparkhill recorded notably more possession of weapons (2.3 times the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (56% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (88% below) and anti-social behaviour (82% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 56 to 73, while anti-social behaviour fell from 152 to 57 and possession of weapons fell from 63 to 46.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,087 | 53.4 | 34.2 | +6% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 159 | 7.8 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Other theft | 123 | 6.0 | 6.4 | +8% |
| Public order | 119 | 5.8 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Vehicle crime | 113 | 5.6 | 5.0 | -11% |
| Drugs | 73 | 3.6 | 3.3 | +30% |
| Burglary | 71 | 3.5 | 3.6 | -18% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 57 | 2.8 | 15.4 | -62% |
| Possession of weapons | 46 | 2.3 | 1.0 | -27% |
| Other crime | 45 | 2.2 | 2.1 | +5% |
| Robbery | 34 | 1.7 | 1.4 | -24% |
| Theft from the person | 24 | 1.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 20 | 1.0 | 8.5 | -17% |
| Bicycle theft | 7 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Sparkhill; the highest is Bordesley Green (144.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Small Heath (70.2).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Sparkhill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East | 3,507 | 126.6 | +30% |
| Moseley | 2,606 | 112.5 | +16% |
| Hall Green North | 2,148 | 81.4 | -16% |
| Tyseley & Hay Mills | 1,696 | 121.7 | +25% |
| Balsall Heath West | 1,305 | 101.4 | +4% |
| Small Heath | 1,564 | 70.2 | -28% |
| Acocks Green | 3,622 | 134.9 | +39% |
| Bordesley Green | 2,002 | 144.8 | +49% |
The 10 locations below account for 39% of the crime recorded in Sparkhill over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (195).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 195 |
| On or near Weatheroak Road | 74 |
| On or near Pickwick Grove | 70 |
| On or near Showell Green Lane | 70 |
| On or near Thornhill Road | 70 |
| On or near Stratford Road | 62 |
| On or near Belvidere Gardens | 61 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 60 |
| On or near Lime Court | 54 |
| On or near Inglewood Road | 53 |
Of the 1,921 crimes in Sparkhill with a recorded outcome, 34% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 57 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 841 | 43.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 645 | 33.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 156 | 8.1% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 91 | 4.7% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 73 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 46 | 2.4% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 35 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 22 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 12 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
Sparkhill has an estimated population of 20,350 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (15.1%, against 7.9%), more unemployed residents (6.4%, against 3.4%) and more residents with no qualifications (33%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Sparkhill average decile 1.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Sparkhill | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 24.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 40.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 9.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 15.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 33.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 31.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 30.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 1.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 91.0% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Sparkhill a safe place to live?
Sparkhill recorded 97.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,304th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and violence and sexual offences.
What is the most common crime in Sparkhill?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,087 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by criminal damage and arson (159).
Is crime in Sparkhill going up or down?
Recorded crime in Sparkhill was down 3% on the year before: 1,978 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,035 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Sparkhill?
About 20,350 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.1% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Sparkhill?
Sparkhill is policed by West Midlands.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.