Crime in Hackney: statistics, rates and trends
38,918 crimes were recorded in Hackney in the 12 months to August 2026, 145.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (8,927), anti-social behaviour (7,826) and theft from the person (3,996) made up 53% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 77th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Hackney | Hackney | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 38,918 | 38,918 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 145.9 | 145.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 266,758 | 266,758 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Hackney peaked in the year to August 2020 (44,277 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (37,237). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 5%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 38,918 | 145.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 39,998 | 149.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 40,680 | 152.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 38,172 | 143.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 39,987 | 149.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 43,438 | 162.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 44,277 | 166.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 41,711 | 156.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 37,237 | 139.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 3,292 |
| July 2026 | 3,580 |
| June 2026 | 3,299 |
| May 2026 | 3,432 |
| April 2026 | 3,155 |
| March 2026 | 3,205 |
| February 2026 | 2,781 |
| January 2026 | 2,995 |
| December 2025 | 3,137 |
| November 2025 | 3,196 |
| October 2025 | 3,446 |
| September 2025 | 3,400 |
Compared with England and Wales, Hackney recorded notably more theft from the person (8.9 times the national rate), bicycle theft (5.6 times the national rate) and robbery (4.0 times the national rate), and notably less other crime (45% below) and criminal damage and arson (40% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 229 to 274 and shoplifting rose from 2,342 to 2,745, while criminal damage and arson fell from 1,626 to 1,088.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 8,927 | 33.5 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 7,826 | 29.3 | 15.4 | 0% |
| Theft from the person | 3,996 | 15.0 | 1.7 | -12% |
| Other theft | 3,152 | 11.8 | 6.4 | -1% |
| Shoplifting | 2,745 | 10.3 | 8.5 | +17% |
| Public order | 2,234 | 8.4 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Drugs | 1,984 | 7.4 | 3.3 | -7% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,878 | 7.0 | 5.0 | -13% |
| Burglary | 1,815 | 6.8 | 3.6 | -11% |
| Robbery | 1,466 | 5.5 | 1.4 | -8% |
| Bicycle theft | 1,224 | 4.6 | 0.8 | -4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,088 | 4.1 | 6.7 | -33% |
| Other crime | 309 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -11% |
| Possession of weapons | 274 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +20% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Hackney; the highest is City and County of the City of London (639.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Waltham Forest (105.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Hackney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islington | 41,297 | 185.2 | +27% |
| City and County of the City of London | 9,663 | 639.5 | +338% |
| Tower Hamlets | 48,202 | 145.2 | 0% |
| Haringey | 34,981 | 132.6 | -9% |
| Waltham Forest | 29,459 | 105.3 | -28% |
| Camden | 46,472 | 217.4 | +49% |
| Newham | 50,823 | 135.7 | -7% |
| Southwark | 49,295 | 156.6 | +7% |
Of the 21 areas within Hackney, Hoxton East & Shoreditch had the highest crime rate (353.9 per 1,000) and Cazenove the lowest (61.0), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoxton East & Shoreditch | Neighbourhood | 13,110 | 4,640 | 353.9 |
| Dalston | Neighbourhood | 10,481 | 2,966 | 283.0 |
| Homerton | Neighbourhood | 13,044 | 2,668 | 204.5 |
| Hackney Wick | Neighbourhood | 13,052 | 2,544 | 194.9 |
| Hackney Central | Neighbourhood | 13,399 | 2,605 | 194.4 |
| London Fields | Neighbourhood | 11,272 | 1,950 | 173.0 |
| Shacklewell | Neighbourhood | 9,500 | 1,453 | 152.9 |
| De Beauvoir | Neighbourhood | 10,983 | 1,466 | 133.5 |
| Woodberry Down | Neighbourhood | 13,658 | 1,808 | 132.4 |
| Hoxton West | Neighbourhood | 15,245 | 2,016 | 132.2 |
| Stoke Newington | Neighbourhood | 11,829 | 1,463 | 123.7 |
| Lea Bridge | Neighbourhood | 14,768 | 1,706 | 115.5 |
| Brownswood | Neighbourhood | 9,699 | 1,111 | 114.5 |
| Clissold | Neighbourhood | 13,500 | 1,523 | 112.8 |
| Victoria | Neighbourhood | 13,645 | 1,459 | 106.9 |
| Hackney Downs | Neighbourhood | 13,075 | 1,397 | 106.8 |
| King's Park | Neighbourhood | 13,656 | 1,439 | 105.4 |
| Springfield | Neighbourhood | 17,510 | 1,817 | 103.8 |
| Haggerston | Neighbourhood | 12,941 | 1,335 | 103.2 |
| Stamford Hill West | Neighbourhood | 8,087 | 679 | 84.0 |
| Cazenove | Neighbourhood | 14,304 | 873 | 61.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 17% of the crime recorded in Hackney over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,389).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,389 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 1,026 |
| On or near Nightclub | 898 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 816 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 507 |
| On or near Parking Area | 498 |
| On or near Hospital | 414 |
| On or near Conference/Exhibition Centre | 316 |
| On or near Gould Terrace | 314 |
| On or near Stamford Hill | 300 |
Of the 31,092 crimes in Hackney with a recorded outcome, 51% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 7,826 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 15,864 | 51.0% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 6,514 | 21.0% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 3,610 | 11.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,094 | 6.7% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,263 | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 741 | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 545 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 204 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 117 | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 56 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 54 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 26 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Hackney has an estimated population of 266,758 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (65%, against 23%), more social housing (40%, against 17%) and fewer retired residents (7.8%, against 21.6%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Hackney average decile 3.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Hackney | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 8.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 64.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 7.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 52.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 64.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 27.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 40.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 32.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 15.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Hackney a safe place to live?
Hackney recorded 145.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 77th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were theft from the person and bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Hackney?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 8,927 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (7,826).
Is crime in Hackney going up or down?
Recorded crime in Hackney was down 3% on the year before: 38,918 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 39,998 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Hackney?
About 266,758 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 8.5% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Hackney?
Hackney 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.