Crime in Brighton and Hove: statistics, rates and trends
35,044 crimes were recorded in Brighton and Hove in the 12 months to August 2026, 124.8 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 Brighton and Hove at a glance
- Crime trends in Brighton and Hove
- Types of crime in Brighton and Hove
- Brighton and Hove compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Brighton and Hove
- Streets with the most crime in Brighton and Hove
- What happened after crimes were reported in Brighton and Hove
- Demographics of Brighton and Hove
- Questions about crime in Brighton and Hove
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (10,194), anti-social behaviour (7,294) and shoplifting (4,732) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 149th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Brighton and Hove | Brighton and Hove | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 35,044 | 35,519 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 124.8 | 125.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 280,869 | 283,870 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Brighton and Hove peaked in the year to August 2020 (36,226 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (32,008). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 4%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 35,044 | 124.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 35,086 | 124.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 33,835 | 120.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 32,008 | 114.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 33,049 | 117.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 34,107 | 121.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 36,226 | 129.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 34,390 | 122.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 33,727 | 120.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 3,527 |
| July 2026 | 3,615 |
| June 2026 | 3,145 |
| May 2026 | 3,379 |
| April 2026 | 3,019 |
| March 2026 | 2,922 |
| February 2026 | 2,502 |
| January 2026 | 2,501 |
| December 2025 | 2,379 |
| November 2025 | 2,513 |
| October 2025 | 2,827 |
| September 2025 | 2,715 |
Compared with England and Wales, Brighton and Hove recorded notably more shoplifting (2.0 times the national rate), bicycle theft (74% above the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (69% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (35% below) and burglary (25% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 371 to 473 and anti-social behaviour rose from 5,774 to 7,294, while burglary fell from 982 to 748 and vehicle crime fell from 1,067 to 901.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 10,194 | 36.3 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 7,294 | 26.0 | 15.4 | +26% |
| Shoplifting | 4,732 | 16.8 | 8.5 | -8% |
| Public order | 3,066 | 10.9 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Other theft | 2,410 | 8.6 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 2,021 | 7.2 | 6.7 | -7% |
| Drugs | 1,338 | 4.8 | 3.3 | -3% |
| Vehicle crime | 901 | 3.2 | 5.0 | -16% |
| Burglary | 748 | 2.7 | 3.6 | -24% |
| Other crime | 690 | 2.5 | 2.1 | -7% |
| Robbery | 473 | 1.7 | 1.4 | +27% |
| Bicycle theft | 404 | 1.4 | 0.8 | -10% |
| Theft from the person | 401 | 1.4 | 1.7 | -14% |
| Possession of weapons | 372 | 1.3 | 1.0 | -12% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Brighton and Hove has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest towns.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Brighton and Hove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwick (Adur) | 1,001 | 80.2 | -36% |
| Shoreham-by-Sea | 1,644 | 69.2 | -45% |
| Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint | 908 | 60.9 | -51% |
| Lewes | 1,801 | 109.6 | -12% |
| Peacehaven | 1,213 | 75.0 | -40% |
| Lancing and Sompting | 1,930 | 67.4 | -46% |
| Burgess Hill | 2,507 | 73.0 | -42% |
| Henfield | 326 | 55.2 | -56% |
Of the 23 areas within Brighton and Hove, Regency had the highest crime rate (631.1 per 1,000) and Rottingdean & West Saltdean the lowest (44.7), 14 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regency | Neighbourhood | 10,011 | 6,318 | 631.1 |
| West Hill & North Laine | Neighbourhood | 10,788 | 5,217 | 483.6 |
| Kemptown | Neighbourhood | 12,076 | 3,443 | 285.1 |
| Whitehawk & Marina | Neighbourhood | 12,304 | 2,024 | 164.5 |
| Central Hove | Neighbourhood | 11,898 | 1,530 | 128.6 |
| South Portslade | Neighbourhood | 10,134 | 1,211 | 119.5 |
| Queen's Park | Neighbourhood | 10,233 | 1,183 | 115.6 |
| Round Hill | Neighbourhood | 8,574 | 907 | 105.8 |
| Brunswick & Adelaide | Neighbourhood | 10,250 | 900 | 87.8 |
| Moulsecoomb & Bevendean | Neighbourhood | 15,906 | 1,393 | 87.6 |
| Hangleton & Knoll | Neighbourhood | 15,364 | 1,305 | 84.9 |
| Patcham & Hollingbury | Neighbourhood | 14,605 | 1,220 | 83.5 |
| Wish | Neighbourhood | 10,022 | 823 | 82.1 |
| Coldean & Stanmer | Neighbourhood | 11,587 | 943 | 81.4 |
| Hanover & Elm Grove | Neighbourhood | 15,652 | 1,093 | 69.8 |
| Hollingdean & Fiveways | Neighbourhood | 15,173 | 1,038 | 68.4 |
| North Portslade | Neighbourhood | 10,399 | 693 | 66.6 |
| Goldsmid | Neighbourhood | 14,449 | 915 | 63.3 |
| Westbourne & Poets' Corner | Neighbourhood | 10,500 | 641 | 61.0 |
| Preston Park | Neighbourhood | 17,598 | 966 | 54.9 |
| Westdene & Hove Park | Neighbourhood | 16,076 | 803 | 50.0 |
| Woodingdean | Neighbourhood | 9,535 | 473 | 49.6 |
| Rottingdean & West Saltdean | Neighbourhood | 10,736 | 480 | 44.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 24% of the crime recorded in Brighton and Hove over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (2,950).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 2,950 |
| On or near Nightclub | 1,257 |
| On or near Parking Area | 975 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 755 |
| On or near North Street | 605 |
| On or near Hospital | 483 |
| On or near Police Station | 462 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 421 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 353 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 317 |
Of the 27,750 crimes in Brighton and Hove with a recorded outcome, 45% 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 7,294 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 12,614 | 45.5% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 7,630 | 27.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 2,552 | 9.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,796 | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 1,089 | 3.9% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 890 | 3.2% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 677 | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 178 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 115 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 88 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 62 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 55 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Brighton and Hove has an estimated population of 280,869 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (14.3%, against 7.9%), more private renting (33%, against 20%) and more households without a car (37%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Brighton and Hove average decile 5.7 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Brighton and Hove | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 14.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 44.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 37.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 52.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 32.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 6.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Brighton and Hove a safe place to live?
Brighton and Hove recorded 124.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 149th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Brighton and Hove?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 10,194 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (7,294).
Is crime in Brighton and Hove going up or down?
Recorded crime in Brighton and Hove was almost unchanged on the year before: 35,044 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 35,086 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Brighton and Hove?
About 280,869 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Brighton and Hove?
Brighton and Hove is policed by Sussex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.