Crime in Islington: statistics, rates and trends
41,297 crimes were recorded in Islington in the 12 months to August 2026, 185.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Islington at a glance
- Crime trends in Islington
- Types of crime in Islington
- Islington compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Islington
- Streets with the most crime in Islington
- What happened after crimes were reported in Islington
- Demographics of Islington
- Questions about crime in Islington
- About this data
Crime map
Anti-social behaviour (9,254), violence and sexual offences (8,920) and shoplifting (4,564) made up 55% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 19th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Islington | Islington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 41,297 | 41,297 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 185.2 | 185.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 223,024 | 223,024 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Islington peaked in the year to August 2025 (41,439 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (35,029). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 15%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 41,297 | 185.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 41,439 | 185.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 38,462 | 172.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 36,113 | 161.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 35,208 | 157.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 35,029 | 157.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 38,458 | 172.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 36,545 | 163.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 36,011 | 161.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 3,691 |
| July 2026 | 4,014 |
| June 2026 | 3,605 |
| May 2026 | 3,838 |
| April 2026 | 3,469 |
| March 2026 | 3,399 |
| February 2026 | 3,062 |
| January 2026 | 3,070 |
| December 2025 | 3,086 |
| November 2025 | 3,297 |
| October 2025 | 3,394 |
| September 2025 | 3,372 |
Compared with England and Wales, Islington recorded notably more theft from the person (9.3 times the national rate), bicycle theft (4.6 times the national rate) and robbery (4.3 times the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (31% below) and other crime (31% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 160 to 247 and shoplifting rose from 3,275 to 4,564, while criminal damage and arson fell from 1,717 to 1,039 and vehicle crime fell from 2,384 to 1,822.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | 9,254 | 41.5 | 15.4 | 0% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 8,920 | 40.0 | 34.2 | +10% |
| Shoplifting | 4,564 | 20.5 | 8.5 | +39% |
| Other theft | 3,757 | 16.8 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Theft from the person | 3,474 | 15.6 | 1.7 | -20% |
| Public order | 2,340 | 10.5 | 6.7 | +9% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,822 | 8.2 | 5.0 | -24% |
| Drugs | 1,807 | 8.1 | 3.3 | -7% |
| Burglary | 1,585 | 7.1 | 3.6 | -9% |
| Robbery | 1,311 | 5.9 | 1.4 | -1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,039 | 4.7 | 6.7 | -39% |
| Bicycle theft | 851 | 3.8 | 0.8 | -2% |
| Other crime | 326 | 1.5 | 2.1 | -5% |
| Possession of weapons | 247 | 1.1 | 1.0 | +54% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Islington; the highest is City and County of the City of London (639.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Haringey (132.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Islington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hackney | 38,918 | 145.9 | -21% |
| Camden | 46,472 | 217.4 | +17% |
| City and County of the City of London | 9,663 | 639.5 | +245% |
| Haringey | 34,981 | 132.6 | -28% |
| City of Westminster | 86,028 | 409.7 | +121% |
| Tower Hamlets | 48,202 | 145.2 | -22% |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 24,987 | 172.9 | -7% |
| Southwark | 49,295 | 156.6 | -15% |
Of the 17 areas within Islington, Bunhill had the highest crime rate (298.5 per 1,000) and Tufnell Park the lowest (99.2), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunhill | Neighbourhood | 11,826 | 3,530 | 298.5 |
| Junction | Neighbourhood | 13,030 | 3,742 | 287.2 |
| Caledonian | Neighbourhood | 11,945 | 3,015 | 252.4 |
| Clerkenwell | Neighbourhood | 11,868 | 2,957 | 249.2 |
| Finsbury Park | Neighbourhood | 14,630 | 3,494 | 238.8 |
| St Mary's & St James' | Neighbourhood | 11,625 | 2,549 | 219.3 |
| Tollington | Neighbourhood | 14,567 | 3,136 | 215.3 |
| Barnsbury | Neighbourhood | 11,277 | 2,332 | 206.8 |
| Laycock | Neighbourhood | 17,122 | 3,095 | 180.8 |
| Holloway | Neighbourhood | 10,850 | 1,918 | 176.8 |
| Arsenal | Neighbourhood | 13,885 | 2,225 | 160.2 |
| St Peter's & Canalside | Neighbourhood | 13,999 | 2,158 | 154.2 |
| Hillrise | Neighbourhood | 15,201 | 1,764 | 116.0 |
| Canonbury | Neighbourhood | 11,490 | 1,296 | 112.8 |
| Highbury | Neighbourhood | 13,602 | 1,494 | 109.8 |
| Mildmay | Neighbourhood | 13,602 | 1,352 | 99.4 |
| Tufnell Park | Neighbourhood | 12,505 | 1,240 | 99.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Islington over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (1,446).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 1,446 |
| On or near Supermarket | 1,349 |
| On or near Hospital | 712 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 710 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 664 |
| On or near Station Place | 569 |
| On or near Nightclub | 516 |
| On or near Omega Place | 465 |
| On or near Holloway Road | 440 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 420 |
Of the 32,043 crimes in Islington with a recorded outcome, 53% 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 9,254 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 17,036 | 53.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 7,805 | 24.4% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 2,917 | 9.1% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,622 | 5.1% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,317 | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 549 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 380 | 1.2% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 176 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 90 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 69 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 60 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 18 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Islington has an estimated population of 223,024 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (67%, against 23%), more social housing (40%, against 17%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (57%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Islington average decile 3.8 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Islington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 9.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 11.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 56.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 66.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 28.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 40.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 31.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 3.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Islington a safe place to live?
Islington recorded 185.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 19th 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 Islington?
Anti-social behaviour was the most common category, with 9,254 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by violence and sexual offences (8,920).
Is crime in Islington going up or down?
Recorded crime in Islington was almost unchanged on the year before: 41,297 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 41,439 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Islington?
About 223,024 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.7% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Islington?
Islington 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.