Crime in Ipswich: statistics, rates and trends
14,484 crimes were recorded in Ipswich in the 12 months to August 2026, 95.9 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (5,868), shoplifting (2,437) and criminal damage and arson (1,112) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 401st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Ipswich | Ipswich | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 14,484 | 14,071 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 95.9 | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | +4% | -1% |
| Population | 150,961 | 140,274 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Ipswich peaked in the year to August 2018 (20,048 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (13,974). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 28%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 14,484 | 95.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 13,974 | 92.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 14,469 | 95.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 16,928 | 112.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 18,103 | 119.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 16,355 | 108.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 17,575 | 116.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 19,412 | 128.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 20,048 | 132.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,178 |
| July 2026 | 1,382 |
| June 2026 | 1,255 |
| May 2026 | 1,234 |
| April 2026 | 1,309 |
| March 2026 | 1,251 |
| February 2026 | 1,181 |
| January 2026 | 1,124 |
| December 2025 | 1,116 |
| November 2025 | 1,126 |
| October 2025 | 1,249 |
| September 2025 | 1,079 |
Compared with England and Wales, Ipswich recorded notably more shoplifting (91% above the national rate) and possession of weapons (33% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (68% below) and anti-social behaviour (58% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 1,630 to 2,437 and robbery rose from 111 to 129, while theft from the person fell from 102 to 81.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,868 | 38.9 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 2,437 | 16.1 | 8.5 | +50% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,112 | 7.4 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 971 | 6.4 | 15.4 | -9% |
| Other theft | 934 | 6.2 | 6.4 | +3% |
| Public order | 892 | 5.9 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Vehicle crime | 681 | 4.5 | 5.0 | -12% |
| Drugs | 374 | 2.5 | 3.3 | -4% |
| Burglary | 338 | 2.2 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Other crime | 322 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0% |
| Possession of weapons | 194 | 1.3 | 1.0 | -8% |
| Bicycle theft | 151 | 1.0 | 0.8 | -12% |
| Robbery | 129 | 0.9 | 1.4 | +16% |
| Theft from the person | 81 | 0.5 | 1.7 | -21% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Ipswich; the highest is Harwich (101.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Kesgrave (24.2).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Ipswich |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kesgrave | 386 | 24.2 | -75% |
| Woodbridge | 400 | 41.8 | -56% |
| Hadleigh | 460 | 49.9 | -48% |
| Lawford | 202 | 39.4 | -59% |
| Harwich | 2,204 | 101.5 | +6% |
| Felixstowe | 1,394 | 55.6 | -42% |
| Stowmarket | 1,412 | 64.3 | -33% |
| Walton-on-the-Naze | 681 | 97.3 | +1% |
Of the 18 areas within Ipswich, Alexandra had the highest crime rate (250.3 per 1,000) and Rushmere St Andrew the lowest (12.9), 19 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandra | Neighbourhood | 10,951 | 2,741 | 250.3 |
| Westgate | Neighbourhood | 9,965 | 1,646 | 165.2 |
| Gipping | Neighbourhood | 9,466 | 1,251 | 132.2 |
| Bridge | Neighbourhood | 9,978 | 971 | 97.3 |
| Priory Heath | Neighbourhood | 9,688 | 936 | 96.6 |
| Gainsborough | Neighbourhood | 8,864 | 843 | 95.1 |
| Whitehouse | Neighbourhood | 9,299 | 832 | 89.5 |
| Holywells | Neighbourhood | 8,210 | 722 | 87.9 |
| Whitton | Neighbourhood | 8,482 | 729 | 85.9 |
| Stoke Park | Neighbourhood | 7,077 | 579 | 81.8 |
| Sprites | Neighbourhood | 6,833 | 529 | 77.4 |
| Castle Hill | Neighbourhood | 7,367 | 562 | 76.3 |
| St John's | Neighbourhood | 9,934 | 605 | 60.9 |
| Sproughton & Pinewood | Neighbourhood | 5,651 | 299 | 52.9 |
| St Margaret's | Neighbourhood | 8,333 | 389 | 46.7 |
| Rushmere | Neighbourhood | 8,360 | 390 | 46.7 |
| Bixley | Neighbourhood | 7,467 | 346 | 46.3 |
| Rushmere St Andrew | Neighbourhood | 4,719 | 61 | 12.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Ipswich over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,769).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,769 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 395 |
| On or near Dogs Head Street | 288 |
| On or near Parking Area | 279 |
| On or near Lloyds Avenue | 157 |
| On or near B1076 | 154 |
| On or near Hospital | 151 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 130 |
| On or near Northgate Street | 118 |
| On or near Prospect Road | 111 |
Of the 13,513 crimes in Ipswich with a recorded outcome, 29% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 971 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,468 | 33.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,957 | 29.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,552 | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,085 | 8.0% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 808 | 6.0% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 504 | 3.7% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 451 | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 399 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 105 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 75 | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 73 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 22 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Ipswich has an estimated population of 150,961 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (27%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Ipswich average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Ipswich | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 11.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Ipswich a safe place to live?
Ipswich recorded 95.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 401st 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 Ipswich?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,868 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (2,437).
Is crime in Ipswich going up or down?
Recorded crime in Ipswich was up 4% on the year before: 14,484 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 13,974 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Ipswich?
About 150,961 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Ipswich?
Ipswich is policed by Suffolk.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.