Crime in Merton: statistics, rates and trends
16,220 crimes were recorded in Merton in the 12 months to August 2026, 74.2 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,939), anti-social behaviour (3,377) and vehicle crime (1,376) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 704th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Merton | Merton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 16,220 | 16,220 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 74.2 | 74.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -6% | -1% |
| Population | 218,539 | 218,539 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Merton of any year here (16,220 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 5%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 16,220 | 74.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 17,344 | 79.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 17,647 | 80.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 17,448 | 79.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 17,885 | 81.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 18,452 | 84.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 19,466 | 89.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 17,762 | 81.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 16,985 | 77.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,353 |
| July 2026 | 1,419 |
| June 2026 | 1,359 |
| May 2026 | 1,385 |
| April 2026 | 1,386 |
| March 2026 | 1,321 |
| February 2026 | 1,251 |
| January 2026 | 1,263 |
| December 2025 | 1,416 |
| November 2025 | 1,338 |
| October 2025 | 1,422 |
| September 2025 | 1,307 |
Compared with England and Wales, Merton recorded notably more bicycle theft (27% above the national rate) and vehicle crime (27% above the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (58% below) and possession of weapons (53% below). On the year before, bicycle theft rose from 195 to 229, while criminal damage and arson fell from 1,028 to 616 and shoplifting fell from 1,849 to 1,260.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,939 | 22.6 | 34.2 | +9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,377 | 15.5 | 15.4 | -9% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,376 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 0% |
| Shoplifting | 1,260 | 5.8 | 8.5 | -32% |
| Other theft | 1,174 | 5.4 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Public order | 929 | 4.3 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Burglary | 684 | 3.1 | 3.6 | -18% |
| Drugs | 658 | 3.0 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 616 | 2.8 | 6.7 | -40% |
| Robbery | 335 | 1.5 | 1.4 | -5% |
| Theft from the person | 314 | 1.4 | 1.7 | -18% |
| Other crime | 230 | 1.1 | 2.1 | +9% |
| Bicycle theft | 229 | 1.0 | 0.8 | +17% |
| Possession of weapons | 99 | 0.5 | 1.0 | +10% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Merton; the highest is Lambeth (154.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Worcester Park and Stoneleigh (43.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Merton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton (Sutton) | 16,658 | 78.0 | +5% |
| Wandsworth | 33,210 | 98.4 | +33% |
| Worcester Park and Stoneleigh | 668 | 43.8 | -41% |
| Kingston upon Thames | 15,017 | 87.7 | +18% |
| Lambeth | 48,676 | 154.4 | +108% |
| Ewell | 2,517 | 76.8 | +3% |
| Croydon | 41,898 | 103.3 | +39% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 26,183 | 138.8 | +87% |
Of the 20 areas within Merton, Cricket Green had the highest crime rate (116.7 per 1,000) and Cannon Hill the lowest (32.1), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cricket Green | Neighbourhood | 13,153 | 1,535 | 116.7 |
| Merton Park | Neighbourhood | 8,260 | 831 | 100.6 |
| Wimbledon Town & Dundonald | Neighbourhood | 12,901 | 1,281 | 99.3 |
| Colliers Wood | Neighbourhood | 11,963 | 1,088 | 90.9 |
| Figge's Marsh | Neighbourhood | 9,159 | 827 | 90.3 |
| Abbey | Neighbourhood | 9,239 | 778 | 84.2 |
| Wandle | Neighbourhood | 5,740 | 465 | 81.0 |
| Pollards Hill | Neighbourhood | 10,322 | 794 | 76.9 |
| Longthornton | Neighbourhood | 13,968 | 1,061 | 76.0 |
| Ravensbury | Neighbourhood | 9,351 | 708 | 75.7 |
| Lavender Fields | Neighbourhood | 13,200 | 963 | 73.0 |
| West Barnes | Neighbourhood | 10,758 | 761 | 70.7 |
| Wimbledon Park | Neighbourhood | 12,477 | 875 | 70.1 |
| St Helier | Neighbourhood | 11,605 | 812 | 70.0 |
| Graveney | Neighbourhood | 11,954 | 767 | 64.2 |
| Raynes Park | Neighbourhood | 14,050 | 845 | 60.1 |
| Hillside | Neighbourhood | 8,843 | 531 | 60.0 |
| Village | Neighbourhood | 10,091 | 510 | 50.5 |
| Lower Morden | Neighbourhood | 11,507 | 467 | 40.6 |
| Cannon Hill | Neighbourhood | 9,998 | 321 | 32.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 19% of the crime recorded in Merton over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,184).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,184 |
| On or near Parking Area | 490 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 348 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 331 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 165 |
| On or near Wimbledon Bridge | 165 |
| On or near Crown Lane | 127 |
| On or near Morden Road | 119 |
| On or near Brickfield Road | 116 |
| On or near Sadler Close | 99 |
Of the 12,843 crimes in Merton with a recorded outcome, 44% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 3,377 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 5,604 | 43.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,937 | 30.7% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 1,365 | 10.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 730 | 5.7% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 520 | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 262 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 210 | 1.6% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 102 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 49 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 34 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 24 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Merton has an estimated population of 218,539 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (50%, against 34%), more private renting (29%, against 20%) and more households without a car (33%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Merton average decile 6.8 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Merton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 64.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 13.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 50.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 33.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 29.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Merton a safe place to live?
Merton recorded 74.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 704th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Merton?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,939 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (3,377).
Is crime in Merton going up or down?
Recorded crime in Merton was down 6% on the year before: 16,220 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 17,344 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Merton?
About 218,539 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Merton?
Merton is policed by Metropolitan Police.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.