Crime in the North Yorkshire Police area: statistics, rates and trends
61,097 crimes were recorded in the North Yorkshire Police area in the 12 months to August 2026, 72.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in the North Yorkshire Police area at a glance
- Crime trends in the North Yorkshire Police area
- Types of crime in the North Yorkshire Police area
- Home Office recorded crime in the North Yorkshire Police area
- The North Yorkshire Police area compared with nearby police force areas
- Areas within the North Yorkshire Police area
- What happened after crimes were reported in the North Yorkshire Police area
- Demographics of the North Yorkshire Police area
- Questions about crime in the North Yorkshire Police area
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (22,105), anti-social behaviour (14,844) and shoplifting (5,301) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 35th of the 41 police force areas covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | the North Yorkshire Police area | England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 61,097 | 5,311,106 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 72.3 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 844,571 | 54,941,057 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in the North Yorkshire Police area of any year here (61,097 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 12%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 61,097 | 72.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 61,607 | 72.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 62,453 | 73.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 65,215 | 77.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 67,548 | 80.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 73,167 | 86.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 69,933 | 82.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 69,442 | 82.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 69,416 | 82.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 5,810 |
| July 2026 | 6,067 |
| June 2026 | 5,670 |
| May 2026 | 5,381 |
| April 2026 | 5,127 |
| March 2026 | 5,061 |
| February 2026 | 4,204 |
| January 2026 | 4,234 |
| December 2025 | 4,491 |
| November 2025 | 4,863 |
| October 2025 | 5,088 |
| September 2025 | 5,101 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (90% below) and vehicle crime (66% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 298 to 423, while bicycle theft fell from 950 to 675 and vehicle crime fell from 1,858 to 1,441.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 22,105 | 26.2 | 34.2 | +6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 14,844 | 17.6 | 15.4 | -5% |
| Shoplifting | 5,301 | 6.3 | 8.5 | -4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4,693 | 5.6 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Public order | 3,355 | 4.0 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Other theft | 3,157 | 3.7 | 6.4 | -1% |
| Burglary | 1,927 | 2.3 | 3.6 | -13% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,441 | 1.7 | 5.0 | -22% |
| Drugs | 1,436 | 1.7 | 3.3 | -15% |
| Other crime | 1,041 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -11% |
| Bicycle theft | 675 | 0.8 | 0.8 | -29% |
| Possession of weapons | 555 | 0.7 | 1.0 | +12% |
| Robbery | 423 | 0.5 | 1.4 | +42% |
| Theft from the person | 144 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -19% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
44,035 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in the North Yorkshire Police area in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 52.1 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was down 2% on the year ending March 2025 (45,024), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 43 territorial police force areas of England and Wales, the North Yorkshire Police area had the lowest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 41 force areas with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Offences recorded in the North Yorkshire Police area, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 7,647 offences (17% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (2.1 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.10 times), robbery of personal property (0.29 times) and vehicle offences (0.37 times).
The largest rises on the year were in robbery of personal property (+52%) and trafficking of drugs (+35%). The largest falls were in bicycle theft (−26%) and theft from the person (−24%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 7,647 | 9.1 | 13.2 | 0.69 | −4% |
| Violence with injury | 5,742 | 6.8 | 8.1 | 0.83 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 5,041 | 6.0 | 8.1 | 0.73 | – |
| Stalking and harassment | 4,449 | 5.3 | 10.1 | 0.52 | +4% |
| Criminal damage | 4,409 | 5.2 | 6.8 | 0.76 | −3% |
| Public order offences | 3,104 | 3.7 | 7.0 | 0.53 | +5% |
| Other theft offences | 3,094 | 3.7 | 6.5 | 0.56 | −8% |
| Vehicle offences | 1,574 | 1.9 | 5.0 | 0.37 | −14% |
| Other sexual offences | 1,471 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.77 | +7% |
| Residential burglary | 1,321 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 0.63 | −3% |
| Possession of drugs | 1,076 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 0.51 | +14% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 971 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 0.55 | −7% |
| Rape | 773 | 0.92 | 1.2 | 0.76 | +14% |
| Bicycle theft | 759 | 0.90 | 0.85 | 1.05 | −26% |
| Non-residential burglary | 715 | 0.85 | 1.1 | 0.76 | −20% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 596 | 0.71 | 1.2 | 0.60 | +35% |
| Possession of weapons | 486 | 0.58 | 1.00 | 0.58 | +5% |
| Robbery of personal property | 223 | 0.26 | 0.91 | 0.29 | +52% |
| Arson | 201 | 0.24 | 0.38 | 0.63 | +21% |
| Robbery of business property | 176 | 0.21 | 0.47 | 0.44 | – |
| Theft from the person | 143 | 0.17 | 1.8 | 0.10 | −24% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 61 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 2.07 | +17% |
| Homicide | 3 | <0.01 | 0.01 | 0.44 | −57% |
Recorded crime in the North Yorkshire Police area since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. The North Yorkshire Police area's rate was below the England and Wales rate in every one of those 14 years. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 44,035 | 52.1 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 45,024 | 53.3 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 47,502 | 56.2 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 49,203 | 58.3 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 47,016 | 55.7 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 39,197 | 46.4 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 46,607 | 55.2 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 45,835 | 54.3 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 39,021 | 46.2 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 37,551 | 44.5 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 38,960 | 46.1 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 34,617 | 41.0 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 34,449 | 40.8 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 34,500 | 40.8 | 56.7 |
Districts in the North Yorkshire Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 2 districts in the North Yorkshire Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, York had the highest rate (65.7 per 1,000) and North Yorkshire the lowest (47.4).
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| York | 13,752 | 65.7 | 0.79 |
| North Yorkshire | 30,090 | 47.4 | 0.57 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
Every one of the 8 nearest police force areas has a higher crime rate than the North Yorkshire Police area.
| Police force area | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs the North Yorkshire Police area |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Yorkshire | 289,490 | 118.9 | +64% |
| Cleveland | 94,028 | 156.6 | +116% |
| Humberside | 98,416 | 102.2 | +41% |
| South Yorkshire | 166,072 | 116.1 | +60% |
| Durham | 79,033 | 121.5 | +68% |
| Lancashire | 163,902 | 102.3 | +41% |
| Northumbria | 146,228 | 96.9 | +34% |
| Nottinghamshire | 125,603 | 105.7 | +46% |
Of the 2 areas within the North Yorkshire Police area, York had the highest crime rate (93.1 per 1,000) and North Yorkshire the lowest (65.5).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| York | District | 209,301 | 19,487 | 93.1 |
| North Yorkshire | District | 635,270 | 41,610 | 65.5 |
Of the 46,253 crimes in the North Yorkshire Police area with a recorded outcome, 23% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 14,844 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 19,198 | 41.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 10,801 | 23.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 6,223 | 13.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 3,006 | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,235 | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,422 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 1,260 | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1,071 | 2.3% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 404 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 244 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 228 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 140 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
The North Yorkshire Police area has an estimated population of 844,571 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (24%, against 19%), less social housing (12%, against 17%) and more retired residents (27%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up the North Yorkshire Police area average decile 6.8 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | the North Yorkshire Police area | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 24.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 27.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 2.0% | 10.1% (England) |
Is the North Yorkshire Police area a safe place to live?
The North Yorkshire Police area recorded 72.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 35th of the 41 police force areas on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in the North Yorkshire Police area?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 22,105 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (14,844).
Is crime in the North Yorkshire Police area going up or down?
Recorded crime in the North Yorkshire Police area was almost unchanged on the year before: 61,097 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 61,607 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of the North Yorkshire Police area?
About 844,571 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
How many crimes did the police record in the North Yorkshire Police area in the year ending March 2026?
44,035 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 52.1 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 45,024.
Which offences are more common in the North Yorkshire Police area than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (61 offences, 2.1 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.