Crime in North East: statistics, rates and trends
319,289 crimes were recorded in North East in the 12 months to August 2026, 115.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (100,434), anti-social behaviour (58,918) and shoplifting (39,099) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2nd of the 9 regions covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | North East | England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 319,289 | 5,311,106 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 115.7 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 2,760,678 | 54,941,057 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in North East of any year here (319,289 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 20%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 319,289 | 115.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 332,147 | 120.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 348,070 | 126.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 369,781 | 133.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 359,827 | 130.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 367,189 | 133.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 374,726 | 135.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 387,448 | 140.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 399,526 | 144.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 29,474 |
| July 2026 | 29,959 |
| June 2026 | 27,963 |
| May 2026 | 28,978 |
| April 2026 | 26,820 |
| March 2026 | 26,056 |
| February 2026 | 21,604 |
| January 2026 | 17,521 |
| December 2025 | 25,701 |
| November 2025 | 27,388 |
| October 2025 | 29,606 |
| September 2025 | 28,219 |
Compared with England and Wales, North East recorded notably more other crime (75% above the national rate), criminal damage and arson (70% above the national rate) and shoplifting (68% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (66% below) and bicycle theft (32% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 2,884 to 3,977 and shoplifting rose from 33,141 to 39,099, while drugs fell from 9,423 to 7,050.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 100,434 | 36.4 | 34.2 | -9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 58,918 | 21.3 | 15.4 | -5% |
| Shoplifting | 39,099 | 14.2 | 8.5 | +18% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 31,571 | 11.4 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Public order | 21,506 | 7.8 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 15,326 | 5.6 | 6.4 | -13% |
| Burglary | 13,037 | 4.7 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 12,460 | 4.5 | 5.0 | +2% |
| Other crime | 10,218 | 3.7 | 2.1 | +11% |
| Drugs | 7,050 | 2.6 | 3.3 | -25% |
| Robbery | 3,977 | 1.4 | 1.4 | +38% |
| Possession of weapons | 2,562 | 0.9 | 1.0 | -6% |
| Theft from the person | 1,574 | 0.6 | 1.7 | +10% |
| Bicycle theft | 1,557 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -13% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest regions have a higher crime rate than North East; the highest is London (124.0 per 1,000) and the lowest East of England (80.6).
| Region | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs North East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 615,075 | 108.4 | -6% |
| North West | 439,611 | 93.0 | -20% |
| East Midlands | 475,616 | 93.9 | -19% |
| West Midlands | 579,648 | 93.7 | -19% |
| East of England | 530,364 | 80.6 | -30% |
| London | 1,126,877 | 124.0 | +7% |
| South East | 787,517 | 81.7 | -29% |
| South West | 437,109 | 83.7 | -28% |
Of the 12 areas within North East, Middlesbrough had the highest crime rate (186.8 per 1,000) and Northumberland the lowest (78.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | District | 156,161 | 29,172 | 186.8 |
| Hartlepool | District | 98,180 | 16,060 | 163.6 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | District | 206,800 | 29,842 | 144.3 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | District | 139,228 | 18,954 | 136.1 |
| Darlington | District | 112,489 | 14,196 | 126.2 |
| County Durham | District | 538,011 | 64,837 | 120.5 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | District | 320,605 | 38,085 | 118.8 |
| South Tyneside | District | 151,393 | 15,579 | 102.9 |
| Sunderland | District | 288,606 | 28,197 | 97.7 |
| Gateshead | District | 202,760 | 19,271 | 95.0 |
| North Tyneside | District | 215,025 | 19,252 | 89.5 |
| Northumberland | District | 331,420 | 25,844 | 78.0 |
Of the 260,371 crimes in North East with a recorded outcome, 37% 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 58,918 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 97,348 | 37.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 56,306 | 21.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 44,834 | 17.2% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 34,168 | 13.1% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 11,063 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 8,415 | 3.2% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 2,593 | 1.0% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 1,725 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 1,135 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1,022 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 969 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 637 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
North East has an estimated population of 2,760,678 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (22%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up North East average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | North East | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 60.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 22.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 21.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is North East a safe place to live?
North East recorded 115.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 2nd of the 9 regions on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime and criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in North East?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 100,434 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (58,918).
Is crime in North East going up or down?
Recorded crime in North East was down 4% on the year before: 319,289 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 332,147 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of North East?
About 2,760,678 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% 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.