Crime in Guildford: statistics, rates and trends
8,387 crimes were recorded in Guildford in the 12 months to August 2026, 104.6 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 8% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Guildford at a glance
- Crime trends in Guildford
- Types of crime in Guildford
- Guildford compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Guildford
- Streets with the most crime in Guildford
- What happened after crimes were reported in Guildford
- Demographics of Guildford
- Questions about crime in Guildford
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,980), anti-social behaviour (1,147) and shoplifting (1,022) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 301st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Guildford | Guildford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 8,387 | 12,259 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 104.6 | 81.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -8% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 80,155 | 151,359 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Guildford peaked in the year to August 2025 (9,158 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (7,956). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 1%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 8,387 | 104.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 9,158 | 114.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 9,009 | 112.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 7,956 | 99.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 8,037 | 100.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 8,036 | 100.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 8,433 | 105.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 8,753 | 109.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 8,292 | 103.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 724 |
| July 2026 | 771 |
| June 2026 | 706 |
| May 2026 | 760 |
| April 2026 | 722 |
| March 2026 | 616 |
| February 2026 | 655 |
| January 2026 | 652 |
| December 2025 | 661 |
| November 2025 | 632 |
| October 2025 | 725 |
| September 2025 | 763 |
Compared with England and Wales, Guildford recorded notably more public order (70% above the national rate), shoplifting (51% above the national rate) and bicycle theft (48% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (62% below) and burglary (44% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 55 to 88 and possession of weapons rose from 53 to 64, while theft from the person fell from 82 to 51 and bicycle theft fell from 124 to 98.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,980 | 37.2 | 34.2 | -14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,147 | 14.3 | 15.4 | +1% |
| Shoplifting | 1,022 | 12.8 | 8.5 | +2% |
| Public order | 909 | 11.3 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 619 | 7.7 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Other theft | 578 | 7.2 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Drugs | 258 | 3.2 | 3.3 | -8% |
| Vehicle crime | 251 | 3.1 | 5.0 | -17% |
| Other crime | 162 | 2.0 | 2.1 | -14% |
| Burglary | 160 | 2.0 | 3.6 | -8% |
| Bicycle theft | 98 | 1.2 | 0.8 | -21% |
| Robbery | 88 | 1.1 | 1.4 | +60% |
| Possession of weapons | 64 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +21% |
| Theft from the person | 51 | 0.6 | 1.7 | -38% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Guildford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farncombe | 490 | 39.7 | -62% |
| Bramley and Wonersh | 166 | 32.6 | -69% |
| Woking | 5,933 | 80.3 | -23% |
| Godalming | 580 | 46.5 | -56% |
| Ash and Ash Vale | 1,397 | 49.4 | -53% |
| Milford and Witley | 277 | 51.6 | -51% |
| East Horsley | 198 | 33.6 | -68% |
| West End and Chobham | 565 | 55.6 | -47% |
Of the 11 areas within Guildford, Stoke had the highest crime rate (226.5 per 1,000) and Burpham the lowest (40.0), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke | Neighbourhood | 6,864 | 1,555 | 226.5 |
| Onslow | Neighbourhood | 9,694 | 1,981 | 204.4 |
| Castle | Neighbourhood | 11,089 | 1,433 | 129.2 |
| Bellfields & Slyfield | Neighbourhood | 6,583 | 655 | 99.5 |
| Westborough | Neighbourhood | 12,856 | 1,035 | 80.5 |
| Stoughton South | Neighbourhood | 6,069 | 480 | 79.1 |
| St Nicolas | Neighbourhood | 2,969 | 230 | 77.5 |
| Stoughton North | Neighbourhood | 6,753 | 337 | 49.9 |
| Worplesdon | Neighbourhood | 9,069 | 434 | 47.9 |
| Merrow | Neighbourhood | 7,989 | 330 | 41.3 |
| Burpham | Neighbourhood | 7,683 | 307 | 40.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 37% of the crime recorded in Guildford over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Genyn Road” (532).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Genyn Road | 532 |
| On or near Supermarket | 466 |
| On or near Parking Area | 460 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 348 |
| On or near Hospital | 274 |
| On or near Police Station | 247 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 240 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 200 |
| On or near The Shambles | 183 |
| On or near Bridge Street | 147 |
Of the 7,240 crimes in Guildford with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,147 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,725 | 37.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,342 | 32.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 915 | 12.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 383 | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 299 | 4.1% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 229 | 3.2% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 172 | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 54 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 42 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 29 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 27 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 14 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Guildford has an estimated population of 80,155 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (21.5%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with no qualifications (10%, against 18%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (46%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Guildford average decile 8.1 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Guildford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 15.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 21.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 46.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 10.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 59.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.1 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Guildford a safe place to live?
Guildford recorded 104.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 301st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Guildford?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,980 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,147).
Is crime in Guildford going up or down?
Recorded crime in Guildford was down 8% on the year before: 8,387 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 9,158 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Guildford?
About 80,155 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Guildford?
Guildford is policed by Surrey.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.