Crime in Birkenhead: statistics, rates and trends
13,212 crimes were recorded in Birkenhead in the 12 months to August 2026, 115.4 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Birkenhead at a glance
- Crime trends in Birkenhead
- Types of crime in Birkenhead
- Birkenhead compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Birkenhead
- Streets with the most crime in Birkenhead
- What happened after crimes were reported in Birkenhead
- Demographics of Birkenhead
- Questions about crime in Birkenhead
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (5,220), anti-social behaviour (1,548) and public order (1,314) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 210th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Birkenhead | Wirral | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 13,212 | 26,029 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 115.4 | 79.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 114,536 | 328,873 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Birkenhead peaked in the year to August 2022 (17,530 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (12,729). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 17%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 13,212 | 115.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 13,188 | 115.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 12,729 | 111.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 16,413 | 143.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 17,530 | 153.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 16,184 | 141.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 15,650 | 136.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 14,971 | 130.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 15,915 | 139.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,130 |
| July 2026 | 1,248 |
| June 2026 | 1,191 |
| May 2026 | 1,120 |
| April 2026 | 1,002 |
| March 2026 | 1,176 |
| February 2026 | 995 |
| January 2026 | 967 |
| December 2025 | 1,085 |
| November 2025 | 1,082 |
| October 2025 | 1,188 |
| September 2025 | 1,028 |
Compared with England and Wales, Birkenhead recorded notably more drugs (2.3 times the national rate), public order (72% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (49% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (79% below) and vehicle crime (34% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 685 to 1,083 and theft from the person rose from 31 to 40, while bicycle theft fell from 104 to 75 and drugs fell from 1,079 to 850.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,220 | 45.6 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,548 | 13.5 | 15.4 | +13% |
| Public order | 1,314 | 11.5 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,152 | 10.1 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Shoplifting | 1,083 | 9.5 | 8.5 | +58% |
| Drugs | 850 | 7.4 | 3.3 | -21% |
| Other theft | 627 | 5.5 | 6.4 | +6% |
| Vehicle crime | 377 | 3.3 | 5.0 | -2% |
| Other crime | 335 | 2.9 | 2.1 | +4% |
| Burglary | 327 | 2.9 | 3.6 | -10% |
| Possession of weapons | 149 | 1.3 | 1.0 | +1% |
| Robbery | 115 | 1.0 | 1.4 | +13% |
| Bicycle theft | 75 | 0.7 | 0.8 | -28% |
| Theft from the person | 40 | 0.3 | 1.7 | +29% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Birkenhead; the highest is Liverpool (133.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Greasby (24.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Birkenhead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallasey | 6,953 | 79.6 | -31% |
| Greasby | 229 | 24.3 | -79% |
| Heswall | 1,000 | 34.1 | -70% |
| Bebington | 3,128 | 55.0 | -52% |
| West Kirby | 655 | 48.4 | -58% |
| Hoylake | 329 | 54.1 | -53% |
| Liverpool | 70,503 | 133.7 | +16% |
| Bootle (Sefton) | 7,572 | 132.4 | +15% |
Of the 7 areas within Birkenhead, Birkenhead and Tranmere had the highest crime rate (254.1 per 1,000) and Prenton the lowest (55.2), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birkenhead and Tranmere | Neighbourhood | 17,957 | 4,562 | 254.1 |
| Bidston and St James | Neighbourhood | 16,358 | 2,297 | 140.4 |
| Rock Ferry | Neighbourhood | 16,294 | 1,640 | 100.7 |
| Upton | Neighbourhood | 17,570 | 1,582 | 90.0 |
| Claughton | Neighbourhood | 15,123 | 1,304 | 86.2 |
| Oxton | Neighbourhood | 14,209 | 970 | 68.3 |
| Prenton | Neighbourhood | 14,087 | 778 | 55.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Birkenhead over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (697).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 697 |
| On or near Parking Area | 374 |
| On or near Catherine Street | 271 |
| On or near Hospital | 228 |
| On or near Corporation Road | 218 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 216 |
| On or near Horatio Street | 173 |
| On or near Argyle Street | 159 |
| On or near Cedar Street | 148 |
| On or near River Street | 142 |
Of the 11,664 crimes in Birkenhead with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,548 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,917 | 42.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,143 | 26.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,280 | 11.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 962 | 8.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 367 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 339 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 300 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 178 | 1.5% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 78 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 62 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 32 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
Birkenhead has an estimated population of 114,536 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (33%, against 23%), more social housing (24%, against 17%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (27%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Birkenhead average decile 3.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Birkenhead | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 33.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 53.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 23.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 45.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Birkenhead a safe place to live?
Birkenhead recorded 115.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 210th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and public order.
What is the most common crime in Birkenhead?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,220 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,548).
Is crime in Birkenhead going up or down?
Recorded crime in Birkenhead was almost unchanged on the year before: 13,212 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 13,188 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Birkenhead?
About 114,536 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Birkenhead?
Birkenhead is policed by Merseyside.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.