Crime in Portsmouth: statistics, rates and trends
27,549 crimes were recorded in Portsmouth in the 12 months to August 2026, 119.9 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
- Crime in Portsmouth at a glance
- Crime trends in Portsmouth
- Types of crime in Portsmouth
- Portsmouth compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Portsmouth
- Streets with the most crime in Portsmouth
- What happened after crimes were reported in Portsmouth
- Demographics of Portsmouth
- Questions about crime in Portsmouth
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (10,738), shoplifting (3,159) and anti-social behaviour (3,122) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 179th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Portsmouth | Portsmouth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 27,549 | 26,789 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 119.9 | 125.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 229,853 | 214,321 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Portsmouth peaked in the year to August 2018 (33,359 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (27,417). 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 | 27,549 | 119.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 27,678 | 120.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 27,417 | 119.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 30,844 | 134.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 33,337 | 145.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 30,937 | 134.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 30,642 | 133.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 28,398 | 123.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 33,359 | 145.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,590 |
| July 2026 | 2,709 |
| June 2026 | 2,426 |
| May 2026 | 2,598 |
| April 2026 | 2,223 |
| March 2026 | 2,326 |
| February 2026 | 1,964 |
| January 2026 | 2,069 |
| December 2025 | 2,029 |
| November 2025 | 2,125 |
| October 2025 | 2,242 |
| September 2025 | 2,248 |
Compared with England and Wales, Portsmouth recorded notably more bicycle theft (2.3 times the national rate), possession of weapons (77% above the national rate) and shoplifting (63% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (53% below) and burglary (25% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 255 to 404 and vehicle crime rose from 1,024 to 1,406, while burglary fell from 730 to 611.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 10,738 | 46.7 | 34.2 | -9% |
| Shoplifting | 3,159 | 13.7 | 8.5 | +10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,122 | 13.6 | 15.4 | +14% |
| Public order | 2,266 | 9.9 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,706 | 7.4 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Other theft | 1,625 | 7.1 | 6.4 | +4% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,406 | 6.1 | 5.0 | +37% |
| Drugs | 1,069 | 4.7 | 3.3 | +7% |
| Burglary | 611 | 2.7 | 3.6 | -16% |
| Bicycle theft | 433 | 1.9 | 0.8 | -10% |
| Other crime | 433 | 1.9 | 2.1 | +3% |
| Robbery | 404 | 1.8 | 1.4 | +58% |
| Possession of weapons | 394 | 1.7 | 1.0 | -12% |
| Theft from the person | 183 | 0.8 | 1.7 | +2% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gosport | 5,937 | 85.8 | -28% |
| Waterlooville | 2,661 | 75.1 | -37% |
| South Hayling | 1,130 | 69.7 | -42% |
| Havant | 5,786 | 116.9 | -2% |
| Lee-on-the-Solent | 1,155 | 44.9 | -63% |
| Fareham | 3,258 | 81.3 | -32% |
| Denmead | 192 | 36.7 | -69% |
| Emsworth | 674 | 54.2 | -55% |
Of the 16 areas within Portsmouth, Charles Dickens had the highest crime rate (255.5 per 1,000) and Drayton and Farlington the lowest (43.0), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Dickens | Neighbourhood | 23,655 | 6,044 | 255.5 |
| St Jude | Neighbourhood | 12,020 | 1,985 | 165.1 |
| St Thomas | Neighbourhood | 15,230 | 2,480 | 162.8 |
| Cosham | Neighbourhood | 14,857 | 2,136 | 143.8 |
| Nelson | Neighbourhood | 16,050 | 2,229 | 138.9 |
| Copnor | Neighbourhood | 13,469 | 1,430 | 106.2 |
| Paulsgrove | Neighbourhood | 14,793 | 1,520 | 102.8 |
| Central Southsea | Neighbourhood | 16,341 | 1,653 | 101.2 |
| Fratton | Neighbourhood | 16,330 | 1,547 | 94.7 |
| Milton | Neighbourhood | 14,661 | 1,382 | 94.3 |
| Eastney and Craneswater | Neighbourhood | 12,566 | 1,169 | 93.0 |
| Hilsea | Neighbourhood | 14,497 | 1,327 | 91.5 |
| Baffins | Neighbourhood | 15,586 | 1,274 | 81.7 |
| Portchester Wicor | Neighbourhood | 6,232 | 342 | 54.9 |
| Portchester Castle | Neighbourhood | 7,349 | 332 | 45.2 |
| Drayton and Farlington | Neighbourhood | 14,266 | 613 | 43.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 21% of the crime recorded in Portsmouth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,695).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,695 |
| On or near Parking Area | 1,495 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 683 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 472 |
| On or near Guildhall Walk | 339 |
| On or near Sutton Close | 270 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 268 |
| On or near Nightclub | 248 |
| On or near Buckingham Street | 221 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 219 |
Of the 24,427 crimes in Portsmouth with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 3,122 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 9,470 | 38.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 7,954 | 32.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 2,409 | 9.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,370 | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 1,087 | 4.4% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 621 | 2.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 511 | 2.1% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 417 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 213 | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 185 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 167 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 20 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Portsmouth has an estimated population of 229,853 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (13.1%, against 7.9%), more private renting (27%, against 20%) and more households without a car (29%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Portsmouth average decile 4.7 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Portsmouth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 13.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 29.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 27.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 11.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Portsmouth a safe place to live?
Portsmouth recorded 119.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 179th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Portsmouth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 10,738 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (3,159).
Is crime in Portsmouth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Portsmouth was almost unchanged on the year before: 27,549 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 27,678 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Portsmouth?
About 229,853 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Portsmouth?
Portsmouth is policed by Hampshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.