Crime in Swaythling: statistics, rates and trends
1,372 crimes were recorded in Swaythling in the 12 months to August 2026, 77.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 10% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Swaythling at a glance
- Crime trends in Swaythling
- Types of crime in Swaythling
- Swaythling compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Swaythling
- What happened after crimes were reported in Swaythling
- Demographics of Swaythling
- Questions about crime in Swaythling
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (506), shoplifting (186) and anti-social behaviour (149) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,937th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Swaythling | Southampton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,372 | 34,688 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 77.3 | 133.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -10% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 17,746 | 259,424 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Swaythling peaked in the year to August 2022 (1,870 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (1,361). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 8%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,372 | 77.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,518 | 85.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,361 | 76.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,519 | 85.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,870 | 105.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,672 | 94.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,450 | 81.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,422 | 80.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,496 | 84.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 114 |
| July 2026 | 139 |
| June 2026 | 114 |
| May 2026 | 143 |
| April 2026 | 128 |
| March 2026 | 195 |
| February 2026 | 116 |
| January 2026 | 69 |
| December 2025 | 79 |
| November 2025 | 85 |
| October 2025 | 105 |
| September 2025 | 85 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and anti-social behaviour (45% below) and public order (26% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 75 to 186 and drugs rose from 37 to 57, while vehicle crime fell from 127 to 75 and criminal damage and arson fell from 132 to 92.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 506 | 28.5 | 34.2 | -25% |
| Shoplifting | 186 | 10.5 | 8.5 | +148% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 149 | 8.4 | 15.4 | +3% |
| Other theft | 98 | 5.5 | 6.4 | +15% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 92 | 5.2 | 6.7 | -30% |
| Public order | 87 | 4.9 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Vehicle crime | 75 | 4.2 | 5.0 | -41% |
| Drugs | 57 | 3.2 | 3.3 | +54% |
| Burglary | 48 | 2.7 | 3.6 | -27% |
| Other crime | 30 | 1.7 | 2.1 | +7% |
| Robbery | 25 | 1.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 7 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Swaythling; the highest is Banister & Polygon (278.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Bassett (63.4).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Swaythling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portswood | 1,748 | 122.7 | +59% |
| Bitterne Park | 1,114 | 72.7 | -6% |
| Bassett | 977 | 63.4 | -18% |
| Bevois | 2,918 | 162.3 | +110% |
| Harefield | 1,271 | 96.8 | +25% |
| Banister & Polygon | 5,395 | 278.8 | +261% |
| Shirley | 1,766 | 116.7 | +51% |
| Peartree | 1,549 | 110.0 | +42% |
The 10 locations below account for 42% of the crime recorded in Swaythling over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parkville Road” (135).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parkville Road | 135 |
| On or near Bealing Close | 71 |
| On or near Sirdar Mews | 61 |
| On or near Poppy Road | 58 |
| On or near Aster Road | 54 |
| On or near Fleming Road | 48 |
| On or near Mardon Close | 44 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 39 |
| On or near Lobelia Road | 36 |
| On or near Langhorn Road | 35 |
Of the 1,223 crimes in Swaythling with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 149 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 453 | 37.0% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 414 | 33.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 125 | 10.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 98 | 8.0% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 54 | 4.4% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 32 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 17 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 9 | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 8 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Swaythling has an estimated population of 17,746 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (36.1%, against 7.9%), more private renting (35%, against 20%) and more social housing (28%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Swaythling average decile 4.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Swaythling | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 44.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 11.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 36.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 29.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 37.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 27.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 34.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Swaythling a safe place to live?
Swaythling recorded 77.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,937th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Swaythling?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 506 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (186).
Is crime in Swaythling going up or down?
Recorded crime in Swaythling was down 10% on the year before: 1,372 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,518 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Swaythling?
About 17,746 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.1% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Swaythling?
Swaythling 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.