Crime in Bath: statistics, rates and trends
11,682 crimes were recorded in Bath in the 12 months to August 2026, 118.0 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 7% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,828), anti-social behaviour (1,933) and shoplifting (1,725) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 189th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Bath | Bath and North East Somerset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 11,682 | 18,013 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 118.0 | 90.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | +7% | -1% |
| Population | 98,991 | 200,028 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Bath of any year here (11,682 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 28%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 11,682 | 118.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 10,911 | 110.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 10,509 | 106.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 8,541 | 86.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 9,046 | 91.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 8,206 | 82.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 8,767 | 88.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 9,190 | 92.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 9,119 | 92.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 979 |
| July 2026 | 970 |
| June 2026 | 1,096 |
| May 2026 | 1,015 |
| April 2026 | 1,022 |
| March 2026 | 1,091 |
| February 2026 | 957 |
| January 2026 | 786 |
| December 2025 | 891 |
| November 2025 | 952 |
| October 2025 | 966 |
| September 2025 | 957 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bath recorded notably more shoplifting (2.1 times the national rate), public order (50% above the national rate) and robbery (47% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (60% below) and drugs (57% below). On the year before, theft from the person rose from 32 to 66 and possession of weapons rose from 62 to 94, while drugs fell from 173 to 138.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,828 | 38.7 | 34.2 | +6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,933 | 19.5 | 15.4 | +28% |
| Shoplifting | 1,725 | 17.4 | 8.5 | -3% |
| Public order | 990 | 10.0 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Other theft | 777 | 7.8 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 716 | 7.2 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Burglary | 506 | 5.1 | 3.6 | +20% |
| Vehicle crime | 467 | 4.7 | 5.0 | +28% |
| Robbery | 198 | 2.0 | 1.4 | +21% |
| Other crime | 145 | 1.5 | 2.1 | -5% |
| Drugs | 138 | 1.4 | 3.3 | -20% |
| Bicycle theft | 99 | 1.0 | 0.8 | -14% |
| Possession of weapons | 94 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +52% |
| Theft from the person | 66 | 0.7 | 1.7 | +106% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peasedown St John | 201 | 39.8 | -66% |
| Bradford-on-Avon | 459 | 48.6 | -59% |
| Keynsham | 2,032 | 97.0 | -18% |
| Radstock | 912 | 82.4 | -30% |
| Paulton | 421 | 64.3 | -46% |
| Midsomer Norton | 959 | 67.5 | -43% |
| Trowbridge | 4,063 | 95.1 | -19% |
| Corsham | 387 | 44.5 | -62% |
Of the 15 areas within Bath, Kingsmead had the highest crime rate (376.8 per 1,000) and Oldfield Park the lowest (51.6), 7 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsmead | Neighbourhood | 8,345 | 3,144 | 376.8 |
| Bathwick | Neighbourhood | 10,017 | 1,467 | 146.5 |
| Twerton & Whiteway | Neighbourhood | 7,444 | 1,063 | 142.8 |
| Lansdown | Neighbourhood | 7,290 | 831 | 114.0 |
| Combe Down | Neighbourhood | 8,713 | 939 | 107.8 |
| Walcot | Neighbourhood | 4,322 | 425 | 98.3 |
| Widcombe & Lyncombe | Neighbourhood | 6,419 | 593 | 92.4 |
| Newbridge | Neighbourhood | 5,820 | 511 | 87.8 |
| Moorlands | Neighbourhood | 4,609 | 370 | 80.3 |
| Southdown | Neighbourhood | 7,271 | 582 | 80.0 |
| Odd Down | Neighbourhood | 5,947 | 420 | 70.6 |
| Westmoreland | Neighbourhood | 7,995 | 494 | 61.8 |
| Lambridge | Neighbourhood | 5,598 | 345 | 61.6 |
| Weston | Neighbourhood | 5,637 | 314 | 55.7 |
| Oldfield Park | Neighbourhood | 3,564 | 184 | 51.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Bath over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (764).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 764 |
| On or near Parking Area | 498 |
| On or near Hospital | 252 |
| On or near Nightclub | 242 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 240 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 231 |
| On or near Kingsmead Square | 208 |
| On or near A3039 | 146 |
| On or near James Street West | 146 |
| On or near Blackmore Drive | 141 |
Of the 9,749 crimes in Bath with a recorded outcome, 36% 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 1,933 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,484 | 35.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,481 | 35.7% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 805 | 8.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 629 | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 589 | 6.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 256 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 138 | 1.4% | 0.5% |
| Local resolution | 110 | 1.1% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 97 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 55 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 45 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 31 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Bath has an estimated population of 98,991 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (22.9%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with no qualifications (9.8%, against 18.2%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (45%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bath average decile 7.4 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Bath | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 22.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 44.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 9.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 28.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 26.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 4.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Bath a safe place to live?
Bath recorded 118.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 189th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and public order.
What is the most common crime in Bath?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,828 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,933).
Is crime in Bath going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bath was up 7% on the year before: 11,682 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 10,911 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bath?
About 98,991 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bath?
Bath is policed by Avon and Somerset.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.