Crime in London: statistics, rates and trends
1,126,877 crimes were recorded in London in the 12 months to August 2026, 124.0 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (283,086), anti-social behaviour (233,920) and other theft (99,954) made up 55% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1st of the 9 regions covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | London | England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,126,877 | 5,311,106 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 124.0 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 9,089,736 | 54,941,057 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in London peaked in the year to August 2020 (1,158,014 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,034,628). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 9%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,126,877 | 124.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,152,000 | 126.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,140,870 | 125.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,098,882 | 120.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,073,579 | 118.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,095,341 | 120.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,158,014 | 127.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,103,724 | 121.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,034,628 | 113.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 95,378 |
| July 2026 | 102,457 |
| June 2026 | 96,509 |
| May 2026 | 97,475 |
| April 2026 | 92,004 |
| March 2026 | 93,092 |
| February 2026 | 84,799 |
| January 2026 | 86,886 |
| December 2025 | 91,306 |
| November 2025 | 94,502 |
| October 2025 | 98,862 |
| September 2025 | 93,607 |
Compared with England and Wales, London recorded notably more theft from the person (4.8 times the national rate), robbery (2.5 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (93% above the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (41% below) and other crime (31% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 5,219 to 7,052, while criminal damage and arson fell from 54,748 to 35,922 and theft from the person fell from 95,346 to 73,101.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 283,086 | 31.1 | 34.2 | +7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 233,920 | 25.7 | 15.4 | 0% |
| Other theft | 99,954 | 11.0 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Shoplifting | 94,861 | 10.4 | 8.5 | +5% |
| Vehicle crime | 82,716 | 9.1 | 5.0 | -5% |
| Theft from the person | 73,101 | 8.0 | 1.7 | -23% |
| Public order | 60,813 | 6.7 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Drugs | 48,917 | 5.4 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Burglary | 47,791 | 5.3 | 3.6 | -3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 35,922 | 4.0 | 6.7 | -34% |
| Robbery | 31,000 | 3.4 | 1.4 | -5% |
| Bicycle theft | 14,493 | 1.6 | 0.8 | +1% |
| Other crime | 13,251 | 1.5 | 2.1 | -1% |
| Possession of weapons | 7,052 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +35% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Region | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs London |
|---|---|---|---|
| South East | 787,517 | 81.7 | -34% |
| East of England | 530,364 | 80.6 | -35% |
| East Midlands | 475,616 | 93.9 | -24% |
| West Midlands | 579,648 | 93.7 | -24% |
| South West | 437,109 | 83.7 | -32% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 615,075 | 108.4 | -13% |
| North West | 439,611 | 93.0 | -25% |
| North East | 319,289 | 115.7 | -7% |
Of the 33 areas within London, City of London had the highest crime rate (639.5 per 1,000) and Richmond upon Thames the lowest (73.0), 9 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of London | District | 15,111 | 9,663 | 639.5 |
| Westminster | District | 209,996 | 86,028 | 409.7 |
| Camden | District | 216,943 | 46,679 | 215.2 |
| Islington | District | 223,024 | 41,297 | 185.2 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | District | 144,518 | 24,987 | 172.9 |
| Southwark | District | 314,786 | 49,295 | 156.6 |
| Lambeth | District | 316,920 | 48,809 | 154.0 |
| Hackney | District | 266,758 | 38,918 | 145.9 |
| Tower Hamlets | District | 331,886 | 48,202 | 145.2 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | District | 188,687 | 26,183 | 138.8 |
| Newham | District | 374,523 | 50,823 | 135.7 |
| Haringey | District | 263,850 | 34,981 | 132.6 |
| Lewisham | District | 301,255 | 36,926 | 122.6 |
| Brent | District | 352,976 | 42,565 | 120.6 |
| Hillingdon | District | 329,185 | 39,254 | 119.2 |
| Greenwich | District | 299,528 | 33,919 | 113.2 |
| Ealing | District | 385,985 | 43,704 | 113.2 |
| Enfield | District | 327,434 | 36,884 | 112.6 |
| Hounslow | District | 299,424 | 32,774 | 109.5 |
| Waltham Forest | District | 279,737 | 29,459 | 105.3 |
| Barking and Dagenham | District | 232,747 | 24,377 | 104.7 |
| Croydon | District | 409,342 | 42,232 | 103.2 |
| Wandsworth | District | 337,655 | 33,210 | 98.4 |
| Redbridge | District | 321,231 | 30,395 | 94.6 |
| Barnet | District | 405,050 | 37,545 | 92.7 |
| Havering | District | 276,274 | 24,310 | 88.0 |
| Kingston upon Thames | District | 172,692 | 15,094 | 87.4 |
| Bromley | District | 335,319 | 29,136 | 86.9 |
| Harrow | District | 270,724 | 22,035 | 81.4 |
| Bexley | District | 256,434 | 20,080 | 78.3 |
| Sutton | District | 214,525 | 16,530 | 77.1 |
| Merton | District | 218,539 | 16,220 | 74.2 |
| Richmond upon Thames | District | 196,678 | 14,363 | 73.0 |
Of the 892,957 crimes in London with a recorded outcome, 49% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 233,920 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 434,891 | 48.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 222,732 | 24.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 97,310 | 10.9% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 52,916 | 5.9% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 37,753 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 18,297 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 14,775 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 5,943 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 2,746 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 2,063 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1,973 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1,394 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
London has an estimated population of 9,089,736 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (42%, against 23%), more private renting (30%, against 20%) and fewer retired residents (13%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up London average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | London | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 12.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 9.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 46.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 42.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 46.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 30.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 4.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is London a safe place to live?
London recorded 124.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1st of the 9 regions on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were theft from the person and robbery.
What is the most common crime in London?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 283,086 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (233,920).
Is crime in London going up or down?
Recorded crime in London was down 2% on the year before: 1,126,877 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,152,000 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of London?
About 9,089,736 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.