Crime in Lincoln: statistics, rates and trends
16,704 crimes were recorded in Lincoln in the 12 months to August 2026, 158.9 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
Violence and sexual offences (5,475), anti-social behaviour (3,789) and shoplifting (2,379) made up 70% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 45th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Lincoln | Lincoln | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 16,704 | 16,704 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 158.9 | 158.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 105,114 | 105,114 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Lincoln peaked in the year to August 2020 (18,326 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (15,570). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 7%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 16,704 | 158.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 16,609 | 158.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 16,868 | 160.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 16,388 | 155.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 17,944 | 170.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 17,210 | 163.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 18,326 | 174.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 17,165 | 163.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 15,570 | 148.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,612 |
| July 2026 | 1,669 |
| June 2026 | 1,421 |
| May 2026 | 1,436 |
| April 2026 | 1,351 |
| March 2026 | 1,506 |
| February 2026 | 1,121 |
| January 2026 | 1,203 |
| December 2025 | 1,311 |
| November 2025 | 1,393 |
| October 2025 | 1,342 |
| September 2025 | 1,339 |
Compared with England and Wales, Lincoln recorded notably more bicycle theft (3.2 times the national rate), shoplifting (2.7 times the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (2.3 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (79% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 141 to 236 and vehicle crime rose from 285 to 423, while other crime fell from 385 to 267 and theft from the person fell from 45 to 38.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,475 | 52.1 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,789 | 36.0 | 15.4 | +1% |
| Shoplifting | 2,379 | 22.6 | 8.5 | 0% |
| Public order | 1,227 | 11.7 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,099 | 10.5 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 691 | 6.6 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Vehicle crime | 423 | 4.0 | 5.0 | +48% |
| Burglary | 385 | 3.7 | 3.6 | +13% |
| Drugs | 285 | 2.7 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Bicycle theft | 281 | 2.7 | 0.8 | +42% |
| Other crime | 267 | 2.5 | 2.1 | -31% |
| Robbery | 236 | 2.2 | 1.4 | +67% |
| Possession of weapons | 129 | 1.2 | 1.0 | +18% |
| Theft from the person | 38 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -16% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Lincoln; the highest is Gainsborough (175.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Washingborough and Heighington (35.1).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Lincoln |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bracebridge Heath | 280 | 48.2 | -70% |
| North Hykeham | 934 | 60.1 | -62% |
| Washingborough and Heighington | 259 | 35.1 | -78% |
| Waddington (North Kesteven) | 317 | 41.4 | -74% |
| Ruskington | 297 | 51.9 | -67% |
| Newark-on-Trent | 4,378 | 149.9 | -6% |
| Gainsborough | 4,010 | 175.4 | +10% |
| Balderton | 901 | 61.2 | -61% |
Of the 11 areas within Lincoln, Abbey had the highest crime rate (324.5 per 1,000) and Witham the lowest (63.3), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey | Neighbourhood | 10,326 | 3,351 | 324.5 |
| Park | Neighbourhood | 12,467 | 3,212 | 257.6 |
| Carholme | Neighbourhood | 11,090 | 1,747 | 157.5 |
| Boultham | Neighbourhood | 11,912 | 1,823 | 153.0 |
| Castle | Neighbourhood | 7,515 | 1,136 | 151.2 |
| Moorland | Neighbourhood | 8,097 | 1,143 | 141.2 |
| Minster | Neighbourhood | 8,504 | 1,181 | 138.9 |
| Birchwood | Neighbourhood | 8,717 | 902 | 103.5 |
| Glebe | Neighbourhood | 10,201 | 982 | 96.3 |
| Hartsholme | Neighbourhood | 8,420 | 729 | 86.6 |
| Witham | Neighbourhood | 7,865 | 498 | 63.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 30% of the crime recorded in Lincoln over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,800).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,800 |
| On or near Parking Area | 787 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 462 |
| On or near Nightclub | 355 |
| On or near St Mary'S Street | 329 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 321 |
| On or near Hospital | 279 |
| On or near Frederick Street | 260 |
| On or near Victoria Street | 210 |
| On or near St Mark Street | 194 |
Of the 12,915 crimes in Lincoln with a recorded outcome, 29% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 3,789 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,154 | 39.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,791 | 29.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,325 | 10.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 998 | 7.7% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 620 | 4.8% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 356 | 2.8% | 0.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 314 | 2.4% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 102 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 95 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 94 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 48 | 0.4% | 3.1% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 17 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Lincoln has an estimated population of 105,114 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (18.6%, against 7.9%), more private renting (27%, against 20%) and more social housing (21%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Lincoln average decile 4.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Lincoln | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 16.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 18.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 28.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 51.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 27.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 19.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Lincoln a safe place to live?
Lincoln recorded 158.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 45th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Lincoln?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,475 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (3,789).
Is crime in Lincoln going up or down?
Recorded crime in Lincoln was almost unchanged on the year before: 16,704 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 16,609 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Lincoln?
About 105,114 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 15% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Lincoln?
Lincoln is policed by Lincolnshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.