Crime in Malmesbury: statistics, rates and trends
375 crimes were recorded in Malmesbury in the 12 months to August 2026, 44.2 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Malmesbury at a glance
- Crime trends in Malmesbury
- Types of crime in Malmesbury
- Malmesbury compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Malmesbury
- Streets with the most crime in Malmesbury
- What happened after crimes were reported in Malmesbury
- Demographics of Malmesbury
- Questions about crime in Malmesbury
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (135), anti-social behaviour (60) and shoplifting (51) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,234th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Malmesbury | Wiltshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 375 | 31,724 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 44.2 | 60.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 8,482 | 523,700 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Malmesbury peaked in the year to August 2023 (441 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (316). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 16%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 375 | 44.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 360 | 42.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 379 | 44.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 441 | 52.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 395 | 46.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 364 | 42.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 325 | 38.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 316 | 37.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 324 | 38.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 41 |
| July 2026 | 40 |
| June 2026 | 34 |
| May 2026 | 43 |
| April 2026 | 44 |
| March 2026 | 23 |
| February 2026 | 26 |
| January 2026 | 22 |
| December 2025 | 21 |
| November 2025 | 23 |
| October 2025 | 30 |
| September 2025 | 28 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and anti-social behaviour (54% below) and violence and sexual offences (54% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 20 to 51 and public order rose from 25 to 36, while anti-social behaviour fell from 77 to 60.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 135 | 15.9 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 60 | 7.1 | 15.4 | -22% |
| Shoplifting | 51 | 6.0 | 8.5 | +155% |
| Public order | 36 | 4.2 | 6.7 | +44% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 31 | 3.7 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Other theft | 31 | 3.7 | 6.4 | +29% |
| Burglary | 10 | 1.2 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Other crime | 7 | 0.8 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 7 | 0.8 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Drugs | 3 | 0.4 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 3 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Malmesbury; the highest is Royal Wootton Bassett (58.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Lyneham (19.7).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Malmesbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyneham | 114 | 19.7 | -55% |
| Chippenham (Wiltshire) | 1,727 | 49.4 | +12% |
| Royal Wootton Bassett | 805 | 58.6 | +33% |
| Cricklade | 261 | 49.6 | +12% |
| Calne | 1,148 | 54.2 | +23% |
| Corsham | 387 | 44.5 | +1% |
| Broad Blunsdon | 358 | 46.9 | +6% |
| Chipping Sodbury | 468 | 56.0 | +27% |
Of the 2 areas within Malmesbury, Malmesbury had the highest crime rate (48.7 per 1,000) and Sherston the lowest (27.5).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malmesbury | Neighbourhood | 6,535 | 318 | 48.7 |
| Sherston | Neighbourhood | 4,772 | 131 | 27.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 51% of the crime recorded in Malmesbury over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (39).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 39 |
| On or near Oliver'S Lane | 34 |
| On or near Basevi Close | 24 |
| On or near Oxford Street | 17 |
| On or near Abbey Row | 16 |
| On or near Jenner Lane | 16 |
| On or near Priory Way | 15 |
| On or near Barley Close | 11 |
| On or near Silveston Way | 11 |
| On or near St Dennis Lane | 9 |
Of the 315 crimes in Malmesbury with a recorded outcome, 29% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 60 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 95 | 30.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 90 | 28.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 55 | 17.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 25 | 7.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 17 | 5.4% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 17 | 5.4% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 7 | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 6 | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
Malmesbury has an estimated population of 8,482 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (12%, against 23%), fewer residents with no qualifications (13%, against 18%) and fewer students (5.8%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Malmesbury average decile 8.5 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Malmesbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 42.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 12.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Malmesbury a safe place to live?
Malmesbury recorded 44.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,234th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Malmesbury?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 135 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (60).
Is crime in Malmesbury going up or down?
Recorded crime in Malmesbury was up 4% on the year before: 375 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 360 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Malmesbury?
About 8,482 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Malmesbury?
Malmesbury is policed by Wiltshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.