Crime in Margate: statistics, rates and trends
7,858 crimes were recorded in Margate in the 12 months to August 2026, 123.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,066), anti-social behaviour (1,600) and criminal damage and arson (701) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 155th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Margate | Thanet | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 7,858 | 16,491 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 123.2 | 115.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -5% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 63,799 | 142,691 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Margate of any year here (7,858 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 34%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 7,858 | 123.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 8,289 | 129.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 8,120 | 127.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 9,076 | 142.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 9,899 | 155.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 10,702 | 167.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 11,398 | 178.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 10,671 | 167.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 11,863 | 185.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 805 |
| July 2026 | 711 |
| June 2026 | 694 |
| May 2026 | 767 |
| April 2026 | 618 |
| March 2026 | 648 |
| February 2026 | 571 |
| January 2026 | 603 |
| December 2025 | 624 |
| November 2025 | 609 |
| October 2025 | 644 |
| September 2025 | 564 |
Compared with England and Wales, Margate recorded notably more drugs (71% above the national rate), anti-social behaviour (63% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (63% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (73% below) and burglary (36% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 46 to 78 and drugs rose from 310 to 357, while theft from the person fell from 36 to 29 and vehicle crime fell from 269 to 223.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,066 | 48.1 | 34.2 | -14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,600 | 25.1 | 15.4 | +10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 701 | 11.0 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Shoplifting | 509 | 8.0 | 8.5 | +5% |
| Other theft | 454 | 7.1 | 6.4 | -9% |
| Public order | 358 | 5.6 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Drugs | 357 | 5.6 | 3.3 | +15% |
| Vehicle crime | 223 | 3.5 | 5.0 | -17% |
| Other crime | 191 | 3.0 | 2.1 | -15% |
| Burglary | 145 | 2.3 | 3.6 | -16% |
| Possession of weapons | 92 | 1.4 | 1.0 | +6% |
| Robbery | 78 | 1.2 | 1.4 | +70% |
| Bicycle theft | 55 | 0.9 | 0.8 | +8% |
| Theft from the person | 29 | 0.5 | 1.7 | -19% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Margate; the highest is Canterbury (165.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Herne (57.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Margate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadstairs | 1,854 | 74.5 | -40% |
| Ramsgate | 5,841 | 136.5 | +11% |
| Herne Bay | 2,506 | 101.8 | -17% |
| Herne | 821 | 57.0 | -54% |
| Deal | 1,783 | 61.7 | -50% |
| Aylesham | 481 | 74.4 | -40% |
| Canterbury | 9,598 | 165.8 | +35% |
| Whitstable | 2,675 | 86.1 | -30% |
Of the 10 areas within Margate, Margate Central had the highest crime rate (395.2 per 1,000) and Birchington North the lowest (30.4), 13 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margate Central | Neighbourhood | 6,267 | 2,477 | 395.2 |
| Cliftonville West | Neighbourhood | 10,141 | 1,417 | 139.7 |
| Salmestone | Neighbourhood | 5,742 | 794 | 138.3 |
| Dane Valley | Neighbourhood | 7,755 | 867 | 111.8 |
| Westbrook | Neighbourhood | 4,467 | 457 | 102.3 |
| Garlinge | Neighbourhood | 4,973 | 411 | 82.6 |
| Westgate-on-Sea | Neighbourhood | 7,451 | 594 | 79.7 |
| Birchington South | Neighbourhood | 6,618 | 447 | 67.5 |
| Cliftonville East | Neighbourhood | 6,498 | 276 | 42.5 |
| Birchington North | Neighbourhood | 3,887 | 118 | 30.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 21% of the crime recorded in Margate over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (336).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 336 |
| On or near Supermarket | 274 |
| On or near Police Station | 231 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 172 |
| On or near Drapers Avenue | 138 |
| On or near Mill Lane | 117 |
| On or near Queen Street | 115 |
| On or near Lyminge Way | 95 |
| On or near Clive Road | 85 |
| On or near Athelstan Road | 81 |
Of the 6,258 crimes in Margate with a recorded outcome, 29% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,600 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,737 | 43.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,802 | 28.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 538 | 8.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 405 | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 227 | 3.6% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 192 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 139 | 2.2% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 94 | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 84 | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Margate has an estimated population of 63,799 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (30%, against 20%), fewer students (4.7%, against 7.9%) and less social housing (12%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Margate average decile 3.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Margate | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 50.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 27.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 28.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 58.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 29.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 27.0% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Margate a safe place to live?
Margate recorded 123.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 155th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Margate?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,066 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,600).
Is crime in Margate going up or down?
Recorded crime in Margate was down 5% on the year before: 7,858 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 8,289 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Margate?
About 63,799 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Margate?
Margate is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.