Crime in Bradford: statistics, rates and trends
52,637 crimes were recorded in Bradford in the 12 months to August 2026, 152.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Bradford at a glance
- Crime trends in Bradford
- Types of crime in Bradford
- Bradford compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Bradford
- Streets with the most crime in Bradford
- What happened after crimes were reported in Bradford
- Demographics of Bradford
- Questions about crime in Bradford
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (21,954), anti-social behaviour (4,681) and criminal damage and arson (4,189) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 60th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Bradford | Bradford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 52,637 | 72,631 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 152.3 | 128.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 345,598 | 563,605 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Bradford of any year here (52,637 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 14%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 52,637 | 152.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 54,102 | 156.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 53,253 | 154.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 58,509 | 169.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 60,552 | 175.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 56,616 | 163.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 57,226 | 165.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 60,425 | 174.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 61,468 | 177.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,577 |
| July 2026 | 4,829 |
| June 2026 | 4,579 |
| May 2026 | 4,746 |
| April 2026 | 4,474 |
| March 2026 | 4,318 |
| February 2026 | 3,746 |
| January 2026 | 4,042 |
| December 2025 | 4,011 |
| November 2025 | 4,207 |
| October 2025 | 4,613 |
| September 2025 | 4,495 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bradford recorded notably more drugs (2.5 times the national rate), other crime (2.4 times the national rate) and vehicle crime (2.0 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (27% below) and shoplifting (21% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 2,170 to 2,820 and vehicle crime rose from 2,694 to 3,444.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 21,954 | 63.5 | 34.2 | -9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 4,681 | 13.5 | 15.4 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4,189 | 12.1 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Public order | 3,943 | 11.4 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Vehicle crime | 3,444 | 10.0 | 5.0 | +28% |
| Other theft | 3,316 | 9.6 | 6.4 | -7% |
| Drugs | 2,820 | 8.2 | 3.3 | +30% |
| Burglary | 2,454 | 7.1 | 3.6 | +2% |
| Shoplifting | 2,294 | 6.6 | 8.5 | -3% |
| Other crime | 1,755 | 5.1 | 2.1 | +7% |
| Robbery | 709 | 2.1 | 1.4 | +7% |
| Theft from the person | 425 | 1.2 | 1.7 | -11% |
| Possession of weapons | 409 | 1.2 | 1.0 | +1% |
| Bicycle theft | 244 | 0.7 | 0.8 | +21% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bradford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shipley (Bradford) | 3,599 | 122.2 | -20% |
| Pudsey | 3,167 | 89.1 | -42% |
| Calverley | 318 | 62.6 | -59% |
| Baildon | 1,279 | 81.0 | -47% |
| Queensbury | 920 | 79.9 | -48% |
| Shelf and Northowram | 305 | 50.3 | -67% |
| Bingley | 1,768 | 77.3 | -49% |
| Gomersal and Birkenshaw | 1,178 | 73.1 | -52% |
Of the 17 areas within Bradford, City had the highest crime rate (386.4 per 1,000) and Idle and Thackley the lowest (99.1), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Neighbourhood | 25,797 | 9,967 | 386.4 |
| Tong | Neighbourhood | 21,059 | 4,166 | 197.8 |
| Bowling and Barkerend | Neighbourhood | 23,632 | 3,999 | 169.2 |
| Manningham | Neighbourhood | 23,165 | 3,873 | 167.2 |
| Eccleshill | Neighbourhood | 19,839 | 3,023 | 152.4 |
| Royds | Neighbourhood | 18,757 | 2,573 | 137.2 |
| Toller | Neighbourhood | 21,437 | 2,808 | 131.0 |
| Wibsey | Neighbourhood | 16,354 | 2,093 | 128.0 |
| Little Horton | Neighbourhood | 22,674 | 2,893 | 127.6 |
| Great Horton | Neighbourhood | 19,680 | 2,480 | 126.0 |
| Wyke | Neighbourhood | 16,198 | 2,007 | 123.9 |
| Bradford Moor | Neighbourhood | 21,293 | 2,496 | 117.2 |
| Thornton and Allerton | Neighbourhood | 19,371 | 2,256 | 116.5 |
| Clayton and Fairweather Green | Neighbourhood | 19,477 | 2,237 | 114.9 |
| Heaton | Neighbourhood | 20,143 | 2,044 | 101.5 |
| Bolton and Undercliffe | Neighbourhood | 19,349 | 1,941 | 100.3 |
| Idle and Thackley | Neighbourhood | 19,824 | 1,964 | 99.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 12% of the crime recorded in Bradford over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,590).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,590 |
| On or near Parking Area | 926 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 879 |
| On or near Reyhill Grove | 776 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 742 |
| On or near Portwood Street | 381 |
| On or near Broadway | 300 |
| On or near Queensgate | 285 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 277 |
| On or near Ivegate | 249 |
Of the 47,956 crimes in Bradford with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 4,681 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 17,321 | 36.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 17,008 | 35.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 4,671 | 9.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,666 | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 1,796 | 3.7% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,702 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,286 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 507 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 485 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 336 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 128 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 48 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Bradford has an estimated population of 345,598 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (28%, against 18%), a younger population (12%, against 19%) and more households without a car (32%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bradford average decile 2.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Bradford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 24.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 14.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 11.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 28.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 32.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 26.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 56.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Bradford a safe place to live?
Bradford recorded 152.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 60th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Bradford?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 21,954 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (4,681).
Is crime in Bradford going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bradford was down 3% on the year before: 52,637 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 54,102 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bradford?
About 345,598 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bradford?
Bradford is policed by West Yorkshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.