Crime in Bristol: statistics, rates and trends
67,024 crimes were recorded in Bristol in the 12 months to August 2026, 150.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 10% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (22,759), anti-social behaviour (9,927) and shoplifting (6,088) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 64th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Bristol | Bristol, City of | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 67,024 | 73,581 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 150.3 | 148.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +10% | +10% | -1% |
| Population | 446,069 | 494,399 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Bristol of any year here (67,024 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 16%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 67,024 | 150.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 60,998 | 136.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 62,140 | 139.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 56,060 | 125.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 55,743 | 125.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 53,026 | 118.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 55,599 | 124.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 55,652 | 124.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 57,906 | 129.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 5,313 |
| July 2026 | 5,840 |
| June 2026 | 5,486 |
| May 2026 | 5,512 |
| April 2026 | 5,581 |
| March 2026 | 5,869 |
| February 2026 | 5,011 |
| January 2026 | 5,425 |
| December 2025 | 5,324 |
| November 2025 | 5,710 |
| October 2025 | 6,237 |
| September 2025 | 5,716 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bristol recorded notably more bicycle theft (2.7 times the national rate), robbery (2.3 times the national rate) and vehicle crime (93% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (42% below). On the year before, theft from the person rose from 246 to 433 and possession of weapons rose from 337 to 433.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 22,759 | 51.0 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 9,927 | 22.3 | 15.4 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 6,088 | 13.6 | 8.5 | +26% |
| Public order | 5,713 | 12.8 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 5,062 | 11.3 | 6.4 | +10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4,869 | 10.9 | 6.7 | +25% |
| Vehicle crime | 4,279 | 9.6 | 5.0 | +20% |
| Burglary | 2,718 | 6.1 | 3.6 | +25% |
| Robbery | 1,414 | 3.2 | 1.4 | +28% |
| Drugs | 1,332 | 3.0 | 3.3 | +2% |
| Other crime | 1,007 | 2.3 | 2.1 | +5% |
| Bicycle theft | 990 | 2.2 | 0.8 | +15% |
| Possession of weapons | 433 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +28% |
| Theft from the person | 433 | 1.0 | 1.7 | +76% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Bristol; the highest is Patchway (202.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne (46.1).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bristol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filton | 1,291 | 107.4 | -29% |
| Kingswood and Fishponds | 14,356 | 88.6 | -41% |
| Stoke Gifford | 1,313 | 76.5 | -49% |
| Patchway | 4,081 | 202.2 | +35% |
| Keynsham | 2,032 | 97.0 | -35% |
| Bradley Stoke | 1,488 | 57.8 | -62% |
| Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne | 705 | 46.1 | -69% |
| Nailsea | 941 | 53.6 | -64% |
Of the 30 areas within Bristol, Central had the highest crime rate (520.2 per 1,000) and Redland the lowest (50.3), 10 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Neighbourhood | 23,555 | 12,253 | 520.2 |
| Lawrence Hill | Neighbourhood | 21,987 | 5,818 | 264.6 |
| Lockleaze | Neighbourhood | 14,029 | 2,898 | 206.6 |
| Hartcliffe and Withywood | Neighbourhood | 19,421 | 3,828 | 197.1 |
| Hotwells and Harbourside | Neighbourhood | 6,705 | 1,235 | 184.2 |
| Ashley | Neighbourhood | 21,827 | 3,845 | 176.2 |
| Southville | Neighbourhood | 14,773 | 2,589 | 175.3 |
| St George West | Neighbourhood | 6,605 | 1,038 | 157.2 |
| Horfield | Neighbourhood | 13,504 | 2,056 | 152.3 |
| Brislington West | Neighbourhood | 12,677 | 1,834 | 144.7 |
| Filwood | Neighbourhood | 13,401 | 1,888 | 140.9 |
| Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston | Neighbourhood | 22,931 | 3,084 | 134.5 |
| Easton | Neighbourhood | 14,551 | 1,946 | 133.7 |
| Southmead | Neighbourhood | 13,698 | 1,804 | 131.7 |
| Henbury and Brentry | Neighbourhood | 13,986 | 1,812 | 129.6 |
| Bishopsworth | Neighbourhood | 13,937 | 1,613 | 115.7 |
| Hengrove and Whitchurch Park | Neighbourhood | 20,852 | 2,386 | 114.4 |
| Brislington East | Neighbourhood | 12,681 | 1,343 | 105.9 |
| Knowle | Neighbourhood | 14,563 | 1,426 | 97.9 |
| Stockwood | Neighbourhood | 11,160 | 1,078 | 96.6 |
| Clifton Down | Neighbourhood | 13,096 | 1,195 | 91.2 |
| Bishopston and Ashley Down | Neighbourhood | 13,830 | 1,244 | 89.9 |
| Cotham | Neighbourhood | 9,045 | 780 | 86.2 |
| Clifton | Neighbourhood | 13,010 | 1,070 | 82.2 |
| Windmill Hill | Neighbourhood | 14,817 | 1,207 | 81.5 |
| Bedminster | Neighbourhood | 10,617 | 856 | 80.6 |
| Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze | Neighbourhood | 20,912 | 1,596 | 76.3 |
| Stoke Bishop | Neighbourhood | 13,617 | 880 | 64.6 |
| St George Troopers Hill | Neighbourhood | 6,249 | 366 | 58.6 |
| Redland | Neighbourhood | 13,837 | 696 | 50.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 17% of the crime recorded in Bristol over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (2,365).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 2,365 |
| On or near Supermarket | 2,191 |
| On or near Nightclub | 1,780 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 1,661 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 1,013 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 595 |
| On or near Hospital | 565 |
| On or near Ferry Terminal | 557 |
| On or near Cannon Street | 479 |
| On or near Lanes End | 383 |
Of the 57,097 crimes in Bristol with a recorded outcome, 39% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 9,927 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 22,354 | 39.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 20,291 | 35.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 4,255 | 7.5% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 3,781 | 6.6% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,387 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,286 | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 841 | 1.5% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 676 | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 553 | 1.0% | 3.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 242 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 225 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 150 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
Bristol has an estimated population of 446,069 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (14.0%, against 7.9%), a younger population (12%, against 19%) and fewer retired residents (14%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bristol average decile 5.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Bristol | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 14.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 43.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 26.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 54.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 26.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 12.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Bristol a safe place to live?
Bristol recorded 150.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 64th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Bristol?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 22,759 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (9,927).
Is crime in Bristol going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bristol was up 10% on the year before: 67,024 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 60,998 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bristol?
About 446,069 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bristol?
Bristol 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.