Crime in Croydon: statistics, rates and trends
41,898 crimes were recorded in Croydon in the 12 months to August 2026, 103.3 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (12,662), anti-social behaviour (8,665) and vehicle crime (3,672) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 315th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Croydon | Croydon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 41,898 | 42,232 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 103.3 | 103.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 405,659 | 409,342 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Croydon peaked in the year to August 2020 (45,082 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (37,088). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 41,898 | 103.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 43,363 | 106.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 42,702 | 105.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 40,728 | 100.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 41,926 | 103.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 43,310 | 106.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 45,082 | 111.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 38,873 | 95.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 37,088 | 91.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 3,455 |
| July 2026 | 3,928 |
| June 2026 | 3,670 |
| May 2026 | 3,745 |
| April 2026 | 3,529 |
| March 2026 | 3,609 |
| February 2026 | 3,153 |
| January 2026 | 3,450 |
| December 2025 | 3,210 |
| November 2025 | 3,264 |
| October 2025 | 3,377 |
| September 2025 | 3,508 |
Compared with England and Wales, Croydon recorded notably more vehicle crime (82% above the national rate), robbery (78% above the national rate) and drugs (58% above the national rate), and notably less other crime (42% below) and bicycle theft (41% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 241 to 347, while criminal damage and arson fell from 2,600 to 1,692 and other crime fell from 613 to 495.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 12,662 | 31.2 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 8,665 | 21.4 | 15.4 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 3,672 | 9.1 | 5.0 | +5% |
| Shoplifting | 3,587 | 8.8 | 8.5 | +3% |
| Other theft | 2,686 | 6.6 | 6.4 | -1% |
| Public order | 2,363 | 5.8 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Drugs | 2,094 | 5.2 | 3.3 | -17% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,692 | 4.2 | 6.7 | -35% |
| Burglary | 1,682 | 4.1 | 3.6 | -11% |
| Robbery | 986 | 2.4 | 1.4 | -12% |
| Theft from the person | 769 | 1.9 | 1.7 | -13% |
| Other crime | 495 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -19% |
| Possession of weapons | 347 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +44% |
| Bicycle theft | 198 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +2% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Croydon; the highest is Lambeth (154.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Warlingham (60.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Croydon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton (Sutton) | 16,658 | 78.0 | -25% |
| Warlingham | 430 | 60.8 | -41% |
| Merton | 16,220 | 74.2 | -28% |
| Bromley | 28,547 | 87.7 | -15% |
| Banstead | 524 | 63.4 | -39% |
| Caterham | 1,783 | 77.2 | -25% |
| Lambeth | 48,676 | 154.4 | +49% |
| Lewisham | 36,926 | 122.6 | +19% |
Of the 28 areas within Croydon, Fairfield had the highest crime rate (314.2 per 1,000) and Sanderstead the lowest (36.4), 9 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | Neighbourhood | 17,628 | 5,539 | 314.2 |
| Broad Green | Neighbourhood | 21,942 | 3,900 | 177.7 |
| Selhurst | Neighbourhood | 11,992 | 1,676 | 139.8 |
| West Thornton | Neighbourhood | 20,109 | 2,809 | 139.7 |
| Park Hill & Whitgift | Neighbourhood | 8,818 | 1,222 | 138.6 |
| Waddon | Neighbourhood | 19,235 | 2,392 | 124.4 |
| Thornton Heath | Neighbourhood | 18,143 | 1,954 | 107.7 |
| South Norwood | Neighbourhood | 18,794 | 1,985 | 105.6 |
| Norbury & Pollards Hill | Neighbourhood | 14,078 | 1,439 | 102.2 |
| New Addington South | Neighbourhood | 10,925 | 1,087 | 99.5 |
| Addiscombe West | Neighbourhood | 17,221 | 1,600 | 92.9 |
| Addiscombe East | Neighbourhood | 11,993 | 1,109 | 92.5 |
| Woodside | Neighbourhood | 17,330 | 1,559 | 90.0 |
| South Croydon | Neighbourhood | 18,884 | 1,689 | 89.4 |
| Purley & Woodcote | Neighbourhood | 18,607 | 1,657 | 89.1 |
| Bensham Manor | Neighbourhood | 17,908 | 1,492 | 83.3 |
| Shirley North | Neighbourhood | 14,805 | 1,187 | 80.2 |
| Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood | Neighbourhood | 17,089 | 1,360 | 79.6 |
| Selsdon & Addington Village | Neighbourhood | 10,989 | 781 | 71.1 |
| New Addington North | Neighbourhood | 11,686 | 817 | 69.9 |
| Coulsdon Town | Neighbourhood | 13,915 | 913 | 65.6 |
| Norbury Park | Neighbourhood | 9,411 | 608 | 64.6 |
| Shirley South | Neighbourhood | 9,589 | 603 | 62.9 |
| Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown | Neighbourhood | 10,177 | 613 | 60.2 |
| Old Coulsdon | Neighbourhood | 11,126 | 625 | 56.2 |
| Selsdon Vale & Forestdale | Neighbourhood | 10,039 | 524 | 52.2 |
| Kenley | Neighbourhood | 12,190 | 556 | 45.6 |
| Sanderstead | Neighbourhood | 14,719 | 536 | 36.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 19% of the crime recorded in Croydon over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (2,394).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 2,394 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 1,658 |
| On or near Parking Area | 829 |
| On or near North End | 691 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 649 |
| On or near Hospital | 429 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 411 |
| On or near Dingwall Road | 340 |
| On or near High Street | 285 |
| On or near Police Station | 278 |
Of the 33,233 crimes in Croydon with a recorded outcome, 41% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 8,665 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 13,470 | 40.5% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 9,451 | 28.4% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 4,653 | 14.0% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,275 | 6.8% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,263 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 799 | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 509 | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 459 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 155 | 0.5% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 89 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 71 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 30 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Croydon has an estimated population of 405,659 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (34%, against 23%), fewer retired residents (15%, against 22%) and more private renting (26%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Croydon average decile 5.0 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Croydon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 15.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 41.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 33.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.0 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 3.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Croydon a safe place to live?
Croydon recorded 103.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 315th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Croydon?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 12,662 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (8,665).
Is crime in Croydon going up or down?
Recorded crime in Croydon was down 3% on the year before: 41,898 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 43,363 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Croydon?
About 405,659 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Croydon?
Croydon is policed by Metropolitan Police.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.