Crime in Lambeth: statistics, rates and trends
48,676 crimes were recorded in Lambeth in the 12 months to August 2026, 154.4 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (11,358), anti-social behaviour (10,276) and theft from the person (4,967) made up 55% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 56th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Lambeth | Lambeth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 48,676 | 48,809 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 154.4 | 154.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 315,298 | 316,920 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Lambeth of any year here (48,676 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 12%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 48,676 | 154.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 47,335 | 150.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 46,546 | 147.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 43,471 | 137.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 43,041 | 136.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 44,928 | 142.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 46,120 | 146.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 43,488 | 137.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 43,390 | 137.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,395 |
| July 2026 | 4,802 |
| June 2026 | 4,554 |
| May 2026 | 4,246 |
| April 2026 | 3,913 |
| March 2026 | 3,983 |
| February 2026 | 3,461 |
| January 2026 | 3,686 |
| December 2025 | 3,790 |
| November 2025 | 3,846 |
| October 2025 | 3,963 |
| September 2025 | 4,037 |
Compared with England and Wales, Lambeth recorded notably more theft from the person (9.4 times the national rate), robbery (4.5 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (4.0 times the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (33% below) and other crime (32% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 213 to 359 and bicycle theft rose from 828 to 1,030, while criminal damage and arson fell from 2,217 to 1,424.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 11,358 | 36.0 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 10,276 | 32.6 | 15.4 | +5% |
| Theft from the person | 4,967 | 15.8 | 1.7 | -7% |
| Other theft | 4,637 | 14.7 | 6.4 | +5% |
| Shoplifting | 3,630 | 11.5 | 8.5 | +18% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,666 | 8.5 | 5.0 | +1% |
| Public order | 2,359 | 7.5 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Robbery | 1,916 | 6.1 | 1.4 | +5% |
| Drugs | 1,804 | 5.7 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Burglary | 1,799 | 5.7 | 3.6 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,424 | 4.5 | 6.7 | -36% |
| Bicycle theft | 1,030 | 3.3 | 0.8 | +24% |
| Other crime | 451 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -5% |
| Possession of weapons | 359 | 1.1 | 1.0 | +69% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Lambeth; the highest is City and County of the City of London (639.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Merton (74.2).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Lambeth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwark | 49,295 | 156.6 | +1% |
| Wandsworth | 33,210 | 98.4 | -36% |
| Lewisham | 36,926 | 122.6 | -21% |
| City and County of the City of London | 9,663 | 639.5 | +314% |
| Merton | 16,220 | 74.2 | -52% |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 24,987 | 172.9 | +12% |
| City of Westminster | 86,028 | 409.7 | +165% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 26,183 | 138.8 | -10% |
Of the 25 areas within Lambeth, Waterloo & South Bank had the highest crime rate (662.4 per 1,000) and Streatham Wells the lowest (65.3), 10 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo & South Bank | Neighbourhood | 9,648 | 6,391 | 662.4 |
| Brixton Windrush | Neighbourhood | 10,826 | 3,884 | 358.8 |
| Vauxhall | Neighbourhood | 12,480 | 3,304 | 264.7 |
| Clapham East | Neighbourhood | 11,225 | 2,483 | 221.2 |
| Brixton Acre Lane | Neighbourhood | 12,944 | 2,479 | 191.5 |
| Clapham Town | Neighbourhood | 14,211 | 2,539 | 178.7 |
| Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction | Neighbourhood | 15,619 | 2,395 | 153.3 |
| Brixton North | Neighbourhood | 16,613 | 2,474 | 148.9 |
| Streatham St Leonard's | Neighbourhood | 16,063 | 2,348 | 146.2 |
| Kennington | Neighbourhood | 16,051 | 2,225 | 138.6 |
| Oval | Neighbourhood | 9,403 | 1,146 | 121.9 |
| St Martin's | Neighbourhood | 12,220 | 1,486 | 121.6 |
| Stockwell West & Larkhall | Neighbourhood | 17,194 | 2,087 | 121.4 |
| Stockwell East | Neighbourhood | 11,443 | 1,227 | 107.2 |
| Streatham Common & Vale | Neighbourhood | 16,612 | 1,734 | 104.4 |
| Knight's Hill | Neighbourhood | 14,469 | 1,484 | 102.6 |
| Gipsy Hill | Neighbourhood | 12,382 | 1,251 | 101.0 |
| Myatt's Fields | Neighbourhood | 9,765 | 981 | 100.5 |
| Clapham Common & Abbeville | Neighbourhood | 11,237 | 1,065 | 94.8 |
| Streatham Hill East | Neighbourhood | 12,150 | 1,151 | 94.7 |
| Brixton Rush Common | Neighbourhood | 15,355 | 1,417 | 92.3 |
| West Dulwich | Neighbourhood | 8,072 | 732 | 90.7 |
| Clapham Park | Neighbourhood | 10,064 | 899 | 89.3 |
| Streatham Hill West & Thornton | Neighbourhood | 11,179 | 994 | 88.9 |
| Streatham Wells | Neighbourhood | 9,695 | 633 | 65.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Lambeth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (2,428).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 2,428 |
| On or near Nightclub | 1,205 |
| On or near Hospital | 1,112 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 949 |
| On or near Parking Area | 908 |
| On or near Brixton | 844 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 797 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 746 |
| On or near Police Station | 452 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 424 |
Of the 38,400 crimes in Lambeth with a recorded outcome, 55% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 10,276 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 21,071 | 54.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 8,737 | 22.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 3,192 | 8.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,081 | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,639 | 4.3% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 773 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 425 | 1.1% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 256 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 112 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 43 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 32 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 31 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Lambeth has an estimated population of 315,298 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (58%, against 23%), more social housing (34%, against 17%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (56%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Lambeth average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Lambeth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 68.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 8.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 56.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 58.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 34.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 33.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 31.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 0.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Lambeth a safe place to live?
Lambeth recorded 154.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 56th 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 robbery.
What is the most common crime in Lambeth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 11,358 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (10,276).
Is crime in Lambeth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Lambeth was up 3% on the year before: 48,676 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 47,335 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Lambeth?
About 315,298 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.4% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Lambeth?
Lambeth 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.