Crime in Leeds: statistics, rates and trends
82,148 crimes were recorded in Leeds in the 12 months to August 2026, 146.5 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (31,044), shoplifting (7,739) and anti-social behaviour (7,006) made up 56% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 74th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Leeds | Leeds | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 82,148 | 105,688 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 146.5 | 125.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 560,801 | 845,189 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Leeds of any year here (82,148 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 82,148 | 146.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 85,478 | 152.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 89,010 | 158.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 94,008 | 167.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 97,262 | 173.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 86,426 | 154.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 87,263 | 155.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 95,016 | 169.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 93,890 | 167.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 6,792 |
| July 2026 | 7,243 |
| June 2026 | 7,083 |
| May 2026 | 7,261 |
| April 2026 | 6,861 |
| March 2026 | 7,075 |
| February 2026 | 5,999 |
| January 2026 | 6,459 |
| December 2025 | 6,363 |
| November 2025 | 6,816 |
| October 2025 | 7,340 |
| September 2025 | 6,856 |
Compared with England and Wales, Leeds recorded notably more robbery (2.3 times the national rate), burglary (2.2 times the national rate) and other crime (2.0 times the national rate). On the year before, robbery rose from 1,506 to 1,746, while theft from the person fell from 1,096 to 908.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 31,044 | 55.4 | 34.2 | -7% |
| Shoplifting | 7,739 | 13.8 | 8.5 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 7,006 | 12.5 | 15.4 | +7% |
| Public order | 6,092 | 10.9 | 6.7 | -15% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5,687 | 10.1 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Other theft | 5,646 | 10.1 | 6.4 | -1% |
| Vehicle crime | 4,545 | 8.1 | 5.0 | -10% |
| Burglary | 4,462 | 8.0 | 3.6 | -5% |
| Drugs | 3,157 | 5.6 | 3.3 | +14% |
| Other crime | 2,383 | 4.2 | 2.1 | +5% |
| Robbery | 1,746 | 3.1 | 1.4 | +16% |
| Theft from the person | 908 | 1.6 | 1.7 | -17% |
| Possession of weapons | 894 | 1.6 | 1.0 | +4% |
| Bicycle theft | 839 | 1.5 | 0.8 | +8% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Leeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morley (Leeds) | 4,442 | 133.4 | -9% |
| Gildersome | 599 | 95.7 | -35% |
| Pudsey | 3,167 | 89.1 | -39% |
| Rothwell (Leeds) | 1,847 | 86.8 | -41% |
| Calverley | 318 | 62.6 | -57% |
| East Ardsley | 1,125 | 77.9 | -47% |
| Rawdon | 362 | 60.6 | -59% |
| Yeadon | 1,618 | 121.3 | -17% |
Of the 21 areas within Leeds, Little London & Woodhouse had the highest crime rate (351.4 per 1,000) and Moortown the lowest (59.0), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little London & Woodhouse | Neighbourhood | 36,476 | 12,817 | 351.4 |
| Hunslet & Riverside | Neighbourhood | 32,523 | 8,791 | 270.3 |
| Armley | Neighbourhood | 24,981 | 4,849 | 194.1 |
| Gipton & Harehills | Neighbourhood | 33,814 | 5,743 | 169.8 |
| Burmantofts & Richmond Hill | Neighbourhood | 27,995 | 4,536 | 162.0 |
| Beeston & Holbeck | Neighbourhood | 28,482 | 4,584 | 160.9 |
| Killingbeck & Seacroft | Neighbourhood | 29,281 | 4,626 | 158.0 |
| Middleton Park | Neighbourhood | 30,963 | 4,634 | 149.7 |
| Farnley & Wortley | Neighbourhood | 27,951 | 4,065 | 145.4 |
| Temple Newsam | Neighbourhood | 22,448 | 3,091 | 137.7 |
| Kirkstall | Neighbourhood | 21,104 | 2,765 | 131.0 |
| Chapel Allerton | Neighbourhood | 25,047 | 3,107 | 124.0 |
| Cross Gates & Whinmoor | Neighbourhood | 25,479 | 3,061 | 120.1 |
| Bramley & Stanningley | Neighbourhood | 25,928 | 2,954 | 113.9 |
| Headingley & Hyde Park | Neighbourhood | 33,199 | 2,893 | 87.1 |
| Weetwood | Neighbourhood | 23,545 | 1,870 | 79.4 |
| Roundhay | Neighbourhood | 25,348 | 1,959 | 77.3 |
| Alwoodley | Neighbourhood | 24,739 | 1,633 | 66.0 |
| Adel & Wharfedale | Neighbourhood | 24,302 | 1,601 | 65.9 |
| Horsforth | Neighbourhood | 24,973 | 1,620 | 64.9 |
| Moortown | Neighbourhood | 21,650 | 1,277 | 59.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 16% of the crime recorded in Leeds over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (2,535).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 2,535 |
| On or near Supermarket | 2,495 |
| On or near Parking Area | 2,238 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 1,126 |
| On or near Nightclub | 922 |
| On or near Duncan Street | 885 |
| On or near Police Station | 715 |
| On or near Hospital | 710 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 691 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 489 |
Of the 75,142 crimes in Leeds with a recorded outcome, 39% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 7,006 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 29,440 | 39.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 23,097 | 30.7% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 9,065 | 12.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 4,589 | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 3,216 | 4.3% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 2,054 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 1,515 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 837 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 501 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 438 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 243 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 110 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Leeds has an estimated population of 560,801 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (15.9%, against 7.9%), more households without a car (35%, against 23%) and more social housing (25%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Leeds average decile 4.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Leeds | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 15.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 15.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 34.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 35.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 48.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 25.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 26.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 27.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Leeds a safe place to live?
Leeds recorded 146.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 74th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were robbery and burglary.
What is the most common crime in Leeds?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 31,044 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (7,739).
Is crime in Leeds going up or down?
Recorded crime in Leeds was down 4% on the year before: 82,148 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 85,478 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Leeds?
About 560,801 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Leeds?
Leeds is policed by West Yorkshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.