Crime in Hastings: statistics, rates and trends
13,338 crimes were recorded in Hastings in the 12 months to August 2026, 146.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 19% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Hastings at a glance
- Crime trends in Hastings
- Types of crime in Hastings
- Hastings compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Hastings
- Streets with the most crime in Hastings
- What happened after crimes were reported in Hastings
- Demographics of Hastings
- Questions about crime in Hastings
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,155), anti-social behaviour (2,655) and shoplifting (1,722) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 76th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Hastings | Hastings | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 13,338 | 13,338 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 146.2 | 146.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +19% | +19% | -1% |
| Population | 91,219 | 91,219 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Hastings of any year here (13,338 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 13,338 | 146.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 11,195 | 122.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 11,171 | 122.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 11,246 | 123.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 11,629 | 127.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 12,882 | 141.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 12,325 | 135.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 12,161 | 133.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 12,036 | 131.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,362 |
| July 2026 | 1,484 |
| June 2026 | 1,193 |
| May 2026 | 1,233 |
| April 2026 | 1,266 |
| March 2026 | 1,105 |
| February 2026 | 924 |
| January 2026 | 973 |
| December 2025 | 856 |
| November 2025 | 879 |
| October 2025 | 1,077 |
| September 2025 | 986 |
Compared with England and Wales, Hastings recorded notably more shoplifting (2.2 times the national rate), possession of weapons (2.1 times the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (89% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (67% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 90 to 167 and vehicle crime rose from 412 to 718.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,155 | 45.5 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,655 | 29.1 | 15.4 | +57% |
| Shoplifting | 1,722 | 18.9 | 8.5 | +25% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 998 | 10.9 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Public order | 982 | 10.8 | 6.7 | +14% |
| Vehicle crime | 718 | 7.9 | 5.0 | +74% |
| Other theft | 668 | 7.3 | 6.4 | +4% |
| Drugs | 372 | 4.1 | 3.3 | +23% |
| Burglary | 343 | 3.8 | 3.6 | +25% |
| Other crime | 250 | 2.7 | 2.1 | +10% |
| Possession of weapons | 185 | 2.0 | 1.0 | +17% |
| Robbery | 167 | 1.8 | 1.4 | +86% |
| Bicycle theft | 72 | 0.8 | 0.8 | -1% |
| Theft from the person | 51 | 0.6 | 1.7 | -4% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Hastings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexhill-on-Sea | 3,992 | 86.4 | -41% |
| Hawkhurst | 285 | 54.8 | -63% |
| Hailsham | 1,803 | 83.4 | -43% |
| Eastbourne | 14,430 | 144.4 | -1% |
| Polegate | 570 | 60.3 | -59% |
| Lower Willingdon | 405 | 50.1 | -66% |
| Tenterden | 530 | 70.7 | -52% |
| Heathfield (Wealden) | 373 | 44.9 | -69% |
Of the 16 areas within Hastings, Castle had the highest crime rate (458.8 per 1,000) and St Helens the lowest (48.1), 10 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | Neighbourhood | 6,861 | 3,148 | 458.8 |
| Gensing | Neighbourhood | 6,341 | 1,384 | 218.3 |
| Central St Leonards | Neighbourhood | 6,715 | 1,331 | 198.2 |
| Baird | Neighbourhood | 5,653 | 787 | 139.2 |
| Old Hastings | Neighbourhood | 5,296 | 675 | 127.5 |
| West St Leonards | Neighbourhood | 5,470 | 670 | 122.5 |
| Hollington | Neighbourhood | 6,397 | 771 | 120.5 |
| Tressell | Neighbourhood | 5,447 | 641 | 117.7 |
| Ashdown | Neighbourhood | 6,518 | 752 | 115.4 |
| Conquest | Neighbourhood | 5,110 | 573 | 112.1 |
| Wishing Tree | Neighbourhood | 5,581 | 600 | 107.5 |
| Ore | Neighbourhood | 5,364 | 573 | 106.8 |
| Braybrooke | Neighbourhood | 4,971 | 468 | 94.1 |
| Silverhill | Neighbourhood | 4,851 | 424 | 87.4 |
| Maze Hill | Neighbourhood | 5,587 | 298 | 53.3 |
| St Helens | Neighbourhood | 5,057 | 243 | 48.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 23% of the crime recorded in Hastings over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (814).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 814 |
| On or near Parking Area | 448 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 337 |
| On or near Havelock Road | 258 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 232 |
| On or near Oasthouse Close | 216 |
| On or near Nightclub | 211 |
| On or near Station Road | 192 |
| On or near Whitworth Road | 165 |
| On or near York Gardens | 150 |
Of the 10,683 crimes in Hastings with a recorded outcome, 42% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,655 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 4,524 | 42.3% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,341 | 31.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 896 | 8.4% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 862 | 8.1% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 289 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 278 | 2.6% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 277 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 78 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 63 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 32 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 22 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Hastings has an estimated population of 91,219 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (29%, against 20%), fewer students (5.3%, against 7.9%) and more households without a car (29%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Hastings average decile 2.9 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Hastings | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 29.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 28.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 33.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Hastings a safe place to live?
Hastings recorded 146.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 76th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Hastings?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,155 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,655).
Is crime in Hastings going up or down?
Recorded crime in Hastings was up 19% on the year before: 13,338 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 11,195 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Hastings?
About 91,219 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Hastings?
Hastings 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.