Crime in Lowestoft: statistics, rates and trends
6,485 crimes were recorded in Lowestoft in the 12 months to August 2026, 90.8 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 13% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Lowestoft at a glance
- Crime trends in Lowestoft
- Types of crime in Lowestoft
- Lowestoft compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Lowestoft
- Streets with the most crime in Lowestoft
- What happened after crimes were reported in Lowestoft
- Demographics of Lowestoft
- Questions about crime in Lowestoft
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,732), anti-social behaviour (778) and criminal damage and arson (768) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 460th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Lowestoft | East Suffolk | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 6,485 | 14,335 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 90.8 | 57.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +13% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 71,420 | 249,664 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Lowestoft peaked in the year to August 2022 (8,881 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (5,753). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 17%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 6,485 | 90.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,753 | 80.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 6,913 | 96.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 7,724 | 108.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 8,881 | 124.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 7,997 | 112.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 7,309 | 102.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 7,544 | 105.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,793 | 109.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 546 |
| July 2026 | 615 |
| June 2026 | 601 |
| May 2026 | 597 |
| April 2026 | 521 |
| March 2026 | 530 |
| February 2026 | 463 |
| January 2026 | 530 |
| December 2025 | 472 |
| November 2025 | 505 |
| October 2025 | 537 |
| September 2025 | 568 |
Compared with England and Wales, Lowestoft recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (59% above the national rate), bicycle theft (46% above the national rate) and possession of weapons (36% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (69% below) and robbery (54% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 58 to 94 and vehicle crime rose from 195 to 316.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,732 | 38.3 | 34.2 | +7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 778 | 10.9 | 15.4 | +27% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 768 | 10.8 | 6.7 | +27% |
| Shoplifting | 445 | 6.2 | 8.5 | +5% |
| Public order | 352 | 4.9 | 6.7 | +12% |
| Other theft | 320 | 4.5 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 316 | 4.4 | 5.0 | +62% |
| Burglary | 213 | 3.0 | 3.6 | +1% |
| Other crime | 155 | 2.2 | 2.1 | -4% |
| Drugs | 144 | 2.0 | 3.3 | -7% |
| Possession of weapons | 94 | 1.3 | 1.0 | +62% |
| Bicycle theft | 86 | 1.2 | 0.8 | +2% |
| Robbery | 45 | 0.6 | 1.4 | +50% |
| Theft from the person | 37 | 0.5 | 1.7 | +16% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Lowestoft; the highest is Great Yarmouth (231.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Brundall (44.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Lowestoft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beccles | 637 | 62.0 | -32% |
| Gorleston-on-Sea | 2,130 | 89.4 | -2% |
| Bradwell (Great Yarmouth) | 683 | 56.1 | -38% |
| Great Yarmouth | 6,872 | 231.1 | +155% |
| Bungay | 280 | 54.0 | -40% |
| Caister-on-Sea | 453 | 52.7 | -42% |
| Halesworth | 276 | 54.1 | -40% |
| Brundall | 242 | 44.6 | -51% |
Of the 6 areas within Lowestoft, Harbour & Normanston had the highest crime rate (187.7 per 1,000) and Carlton Colville the lowest (35.7), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbour & Normanston | Neighbourhood | 16,175 | 3,036 | 187.7 |
| Kirkley & Pakefield | Neighbourhood | 13,759 | 1,270 | 92.3 |
| Gunton & St Margarets | Neighbourhood | 9,761 | 715 | 73.3 |
| Carlton & Whitton | Neighbourhood | 8,695 | 484 | 55.7 |
| Oulton Broad | Neighbourhood | 14,615 | 680 | 46.5 |
| Carlton Colville | Neighbourhood | 8,415 | 300 | 35.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 21% of the crime recorded in Lowestoft over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (289).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 289 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 262 |
| On or near Supermarket | 227 |
| On or near Suffolk Road | 136 |
| On or near Bevan Street East | 85 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 83 |
| On or near Station Square | 72 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 64 |
| On or near Surrey Street | 61 |
| On or near Clapham Road South | 54 |
Of the 5,707 crimes in Lowestoft with a recorded outcome, 31% 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 778 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,756 | 30.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,718 | 30.1% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 813 | 14.2% | 11.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 356 | 6.2% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 350 | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 242 | 4.2% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 188 | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 175 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 63 | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 22 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 17 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Lowestoft has an estimated population of 71,420 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (20%, against 34%), fewer students (4.7%, against 7.9%) and more retired residents (29%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Lowestoft average decile 4.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Lowestoft | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 25.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 29.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 19.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 64.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 23.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Lowestoft a safe place to live?
Lowestoft recorded 90.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 460th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson and bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Lowestoft?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,732 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (778).
Is crime in Lowestoft going up or down?
Recorded crime in Lowestoft was up 13% on the year before: 6,485 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,753 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Lowestoft?
About 71,420 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 26% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Lowestoft?
Lowestoft 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.