Crime in Chichester: statistics, rates and trends
5,505 crimes were recorded in Chichester in the 12 months to August 2026, 158.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 13% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Chichester at a glance
- Crime trends in Chichester
- Types of crime in Chichester
- Chichester compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Chichester
- Streets with the most crime in Chichester
- What happened after crimes were reported in Chichester
- Demographics of Chichester
- Questions about crime in Chichester
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,494), anti-social behaviour (1,324) and shoplifting (887) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 46th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Chichester | Chichester | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,505 | 10,452 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 158.6 | 81.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +13% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 34,712 | 128,934 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Chichester of any year here (5,505 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 51%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,505 | 158.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,893 | 141.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,696 | 135.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,526 | 130.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 4,636 | 133.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,107 | 118.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 4,072 | 117.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,869 | 111.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,650 | 105.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 526 |
| July 2026 | 620 |
| June 2026 | 479 |
| May 2026 | 521 |
| April 2026 | 457 |
| March 2026 | 488 |
| February 2026 | 422 |
| January 2026 | 315 |
| December 2025 | 366 |
| November 2025 | 443 |
| October 2025 | 483 |
| September 2025 | 385 |
Compared with England and Wales, Chichester recorded notably more shoplifting (3.0 times the national rate), bicycle theft (2.9 times the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (2.5 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (62% below) and vehicle crime (43% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 43 to 75 and anti-social behaviour rose from 958 to 1,324, while theft from the person fell from 46 to 22 and bicycle theft fell from 110 to 84.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,494 | 43.0 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,324 | 38.1 | 15.4 | +38% |
| Shoplifting | 887 | 25.6 | 8.5 | +19% |
| Public order | 485 | 14.0 | 6.7 | +17% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 411 | 11.8 | 6.7 | +18% |
| Other theft | 261 | 7.5 | 6.4 | +4% |
| Burglary | 114 | 3.3 | 3.6 | -11% |
| Drugs | 114 | 3.3 | 3.3 | -12% |
| Vehicle crime | 99 | 2.9 | 5.0 | -23% |
| Bicycle theft | 84 | 2.4 | 0.8 | -24% |
| Robbery | 75 | 2.2 | 1.4 | +74% |
| Possession of weapons | 70 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0% |
| Other crime | 65 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -4% |
| Theft from the person | 22 | 0.6 | 1.7 | -52% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Chichester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnham (Arun) | 572 | 61.9 | -61% |
| Bognor Regis | 7,025 | 102.0 | -36% |
| East Wittering | 346 | 49.3 | -69% |
| Emsworth | 674 | 54.2 | -66% |
| Selsey | 829 | 75.5 | -52% |
| Yapton | 765 | 101.2 | -36% |
| South Hayling | 1,130 | 69.7 | -56% |
| Havant | 5,786 | 116.9 | -26% |
Of the 5 areas within Chichester, Chichester Central had the highest crime rate (749.6 per 1,000) and Chichester South the lowest (63.0), 12 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chichester Central | Neighbourhood | 2,500 | 1,874 | 749.6 |
| Chichester East | Neighbourhood | 7,661 | 1,410 | 184.0 |
| Chichester North | Neighbourhood | 7,467 | 1,081 | 144.8 |
| Chichester West | Neighbourhood | 7,593 | 571 | 75.2 |
| Chichester South | Neighbourhood | 6,842 | 431 | 63.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 36% of the crime recorded in Chichester over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (595).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 595 |
| On or near Church Road | 234 |
| On or near St Martin'S Street | 191 |
| On or near Westhampnett Road | 173 |
| On or near North Mead | 168 |
| On or near Parking Area | 167 |
| On or near Cooper Street | 143 |
| On or near Shamrock Close | 125 |
| On or near Cathedral Courtyard | 102 |
| On or near Deanery Close | 99 |
Of the 4,181 crimes in Chichester with a recorded outcome, 46% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,324 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,904 | 45.5% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,141 | 27.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 450 | 10.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 248 | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 130 | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 121 | 2.9% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 103 | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 23 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 18 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 15 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
Chichester has an estimated population of 34,712 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (12.6%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with no qualifications (13%, against 18%) and an older population (24%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Chichester average decile 6.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Chichester | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 24.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 26.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 12.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 38.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 20.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 23.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Chichester a safe place to live?
Chichester recorded 158.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 46th 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 Chichester?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,494 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,324).
Is crime in Chichester going up or down?
Recorded crime in Chichester was up 13% on the year before: 5,505 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,893 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Chichester?
About 34,712 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Chichester?
Chichester 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.