Crime in West Midlands: statistics, rates and trends
579,648 crimes were recorded in West Midlands in the 12 months to August 2026, 93.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in West Midlands at a glance
- Crime trends in West Midlands
- Types of crime in West Midlands
- West Midlands compared with nearby regions
- Areas within West Midlands
- What happened after crimes were reported in West Midlands
- Demographics of West Midlands
- Questions about crime in West Midlands
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (237,122), anti-social behaviour (54,432) and shoplifting (52,264) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 5th of the 9 regions covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | West Midlands | England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 579,648 | 5,311,106 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 93.7 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 6,187,204 | 54,941,057 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in West Midlands peaked in the year to August 2022 (670,060 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2020 (578,430). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 579,648 | 93.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 580,265 | 93.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 597,454 | 96.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 644,545 | 104.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 670,060 | 108.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 634,465 | 102.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 578,430 | 93.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 589,294 | 95.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 584,459 | 94.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 52,342 |
| July 2026 | 56,613 |
| June 2026 | 51,985 |
| May 2026 | 49,995 |
| April 2026 | 46,900 |
| March 2026 | 49,390 |
| February 2026 | 42,731 |
| January 2026 | 43,959 |
| December 2025 | 44,418 |
| November 2025 | 45,855 |
| October 2025 | 48,413 |
| September 2025 | 47,047 |
Compared with England and Wales, West Midlands recorded notably more possession of weapons (68% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (63% below) and anti-social behaviour (43% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour fell from 68,583 to 54,432.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 237,122 | 38.3 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 54,432 | 8.8 | 15.4 | -21% |
| Shoplifting | 52,264 | 8.4 | 8.5 | -2% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 45,169 | 7.3 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Vehicle crime | 38,330 | 6.2 | 5.0 | -5% |
| Public order | 37,720 | 6.1 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Other theft | 35,256 | 5.7 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Burglary | 24,504 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Drugs | 16,286 | 2.6 | 3.3 | +6% |
| Other crime | 11,909 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -6% |
| Possession of weapons | 10,076 | 1.6 | 1.0 | +9% |
| Robbery | 9,159 | 1.5 | 1.4 | +6% |
| Theft from the person | 3,802 | 0.6 | 1.7 | +6% |
| Bicycle theft | 3,619 | 0.6 | 0.8 | +1% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest regions have a higher crime rate than West Midlands; the highest is London (124.0 per 1,000) and the lowest East of England (80.6).
| Region | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs West Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 475,616 | 93.9 | 0% |
| North West | 439,611 | 93.0 | -1% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 615,075 | 108.4 | +16% |
| East of England | 530,364 | 80.6 | -14% |
| London | 1,126,877 | 124.0 | +32% |
| South West | 437,109 | 83.7 | -11% |
| South East | 787,517 | 81.7 | -13% |
| North East | 319,289 | 115.7 | +23% |
Of the 14 areas within West Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent had the highest crime rate (139.7 per 1,000) and Shropshire the lowest (57.8).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke-on-Trent | District | 270,425 | 37,774 | 139.7 |
| Birmingham | District | 1,183,618 | 146,681 | 123.9 |
| Walsall | District | 295,678 | 30,674 | 103.7 |
| Sandwell | District | 353,860 | 36,370 | 102.8 |
| Wolverhampton | District | 281,251 | 27,937 | 99.3 |
| Coventry | District | 369,026 | 35,945 | 97.4 |
| Telford and Wrekin | District | 195,952 | 17,406 | 88.8 |
| Solihull | District | 221,242 | 19,471 | 88.0 |
| Warwickshire | County | 632,207 | 51,630 | 81.7 |
| Dudley | District | 331,930 | 26,676 | 80.4 |
| Worcestershire | County | 621,360 | 48,472 | 78.0 |
| Staffordshire | County | 907,153 | 69,659 | 76.8 |
| Herefordshire, County of | District | 191,047 | 11,739 | 61.4 |
| Shropshire | District | 332,455 | 19,214 | 57.8 |
Of the 525,216 crimes in West Midlands with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 54,432 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 213,057 | 40.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 169,204 | 32.2% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 55,493 | 10.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 27,925 | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 17,744 | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 17,112 | 3.3% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 14,469 | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 5,466 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 3,049 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 768 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 561 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 264 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
West Midlands has an estimated population of 6,187,204 (ONS, mid-2024). On the Census 2021 measures below it is close to England and Wales as a whole. On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up West Midlands average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | West Midlands | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 63.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 16.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is West Midlands a safe place to live?
West Midlands recorded 93.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 5th of the 9 regions on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in West Midlands?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 237,122 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (54,432).
Is crime in West Midlands going up or down?
Recorded crime in West Midlands was almost unchanged on the year before: 579,648 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 580,265 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of West Midlands?
About 6,187,204 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% 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.