Crime in Canterbury: statistics, rates and trends
9,598 crimes were recorded in Canterbury in the 12 months to August 2026, 165.8 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Canterbury at a glance
- Crime trends in Canterbury
- Types of crime in Canterbury
- Canterbury compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Canterbury
- Streets with the most crime in Canterbury
- What happened after crimes were reported in Canterbury
- Demographics of Canterbury
- Questions about crime in Canterbury
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,049), anti-social behaviour (1,904) and shoplifting (1,449) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 35th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Canterbury | Canterbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 9,598 | 17,480 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 165.8 | 107.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 57,896 | 162,100 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Canterbury peaked in the year to August 2018 (9,969 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (8,965). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 4%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 9,598 | 165.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 9,363 | 161.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 8,965 | 154.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 9,231 | 159.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 9,856 | 170.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 9,948 | 171.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 9,853 | 170.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 9,702 | 167.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 9,969 | 172.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 817 |
| July 2026 | 882 |
| June 2026 | 815 |
| May 2026 | 815 |
| April 2026 | 781 |
| March 2026 | 845 |
| February 2026 | 764 |
| January 2026 | 718 |
| December 2025 | 802 |
| November 2025 | 785 |
| October 2025 | 861 |
| September 2025 | 713 |
Compared with England and Wales, Canterbury recorded notably more shoplifting (3.0 times the national rate), bicycle theft (2.7 times the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (2.1 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (43% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 1,361 to 1,904 and robbery rose from 102 to 122, while possession of weapons fell from 108 to 81 and vehicle crime fell from 321 to 270.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,049 | 52.7 | 34.2 | -7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,904 | 32.9 | 15.4 | +40% |
| Shoplifting | 1,449 | 25.0 | 8.5 | 0% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 821 | 14.2 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Other theft | 600 | 10.4 | 6.4 | -1% |
| Drugs | 392 | 6.8 | 3.3 | -7% |
| Public order | 374 | 6.5 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Vehicle crime | 270 | 4.7 | 5.0 | -16% |
| Burglary | 180 | 3.1 | 3.6 | -9% |
| Other crime | 170 | 2.9 | 2.1 | -15% |
| Bicycle theft | 130 | 2.2 | 0.8 | +14% |
| Robbery | 122 | 2.1 | 1.4 | +20% |
| Possession of weapons | 81 | 1.4 | 1.0 | -25% |
| Theft from the person | 56 | 1.0 | 1.7 | -14% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Canterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitstable | 2,675 | 86.1 | -48% |
| Herne | 821 | 57.0 | -66% |
| Aylesham | 481 | 74.4 | -55% |
| Herne Bay | 2,506 | 101.8 | -39% |
| Faversham | 2,049 | 90.9 | -45% |
| Hawkinge | 446 | 51.3 | -69% |
| Whitfield (Dover) | 453 | 68.9 | -58% |
| Teynham | 436 | 81.5 | -51% |
Of the 6 areas within Canterbury, Westgate had the highest crime rate (304.2 per 1,000) and Blean Forest the lowest (38.5), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westgate | Neighbourhood | 10,879 | 3,309 | 304.2 |
| Northgate | Neighbourhood | 8,267 | 2,017 | 244.0 |
| Barton | Neighbourhood | 12,588 | 1,904 | 151.3 |
| Wincheap | Neighbourhood | 11,324 | 1,259 | 111.2 |
| St Stephen's | Neighbourhood | 8,137 | 845 | 103.8 |
| Blean Forest | Neighbourhood | 9,558 | 368 | 38.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in Canterbury over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (613).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 613 |
| On or near Supermarket | 524 |
| On or near Hospital | 239 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 219 |
| On or near Butchery Lane | 219 |
| On or near Parking Area | 216 |
| On or near Vauxhall Avenue | 205 |
| On or near St Dunstan'S Street | 199 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 154 |
| On or near Best Lane | 152 |
Of the 7,694 crimes in Canterbury with a recorded outcome, 40% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,904 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,057 | 39.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,555 | 33.2% | 34.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 572 | 7.4% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 506 | 6.6% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 429 | 5.6% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 196 | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 195 | 2.5% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 102 | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 53 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 17 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Canterbury has an estimated population of 57,896 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (34.9%, against 7.9%), more unemployed residents (6.2%, against 3.4%) and more private renting (34%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Canterbury average decile 5.1 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Canterbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 44.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 14.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 34.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 36.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 11.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 32.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 44.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 34.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 12.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Canterbury a safe place to live?
Canterbury recorded 165.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 35th 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 Canterbury?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,049 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,904).
Is crime in Canterbury going up or down?
Recorded crime in Canterbury was up 3% on the year before: 9,598 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 9,363 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Canterbury?
About 57,896 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Canterbury?
Canterbury is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.