Crime in Reading: statistics, rates and trends
21,930 crimes were recorded in Reading in the 12 months to August 2026, 102.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (7,873), shoplifting (3,276) and anti-social behaviour (2,159) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 323rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Reading | Reading | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 21,930 | 20,492 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 102.7 | 112.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 213,520 | 182,907 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Reading peaked in the year to August 2023 (22,925 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (18,133). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 21,930 | 102.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 21,370 | 100.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 21,676 | 101.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 22,925 | 107.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 22,853 | 107.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 20,677 | 96.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 18,583 | 87.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 18,133 | 84.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 19,439 | 91.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,013 |
| July 2026 | 2,093 |
| June 2026 | 1,969 |
| May 2026 | 2,027 |
| April 2026 | 1,844 |
| March 2026 | 1,925 |
| February 2026 | 1,552 |
| January 2026 | 1,627 |
| December 2025 | 1,613 |
| November 2025 | 1,715 |
| October 2025 | 1,763 |
| September 2025 | 1,789 |
Compared with England and Wales, Reading recorded notably more bicycle theft (2.6 times the national rate), shoplifting (81% above the national rate) and other theft (29% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (34% below) and theft from the person (33% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 310 to 364, while theft from the person fell from 402 to 242.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 7,873 | 36.9 | 34.2 | +7% |
| Shoplifting | 3,276 | 15.3 | 8.5 | +6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,159 | 10.1 | 15.4 | -7% |
| Other theft | 1,780 | 8.3 | 6.4 | +15% |
| Public order | 1,738 | 8.1 | 6.7 | +9% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,332 | 6.2 | 6.7 | -7% |
| Vehicle crime | 944 | 4.4 | 5.0 | -10% |
| Burglary | 650 | 3.0 | 3.6 | -6% |
| Drugs | 584 | 2.7 | 3.3 | +7% |
| Bicycle theft | 453 | 2.1 | 0.8 | -13% |
| Other crime | 391 | 1.8 | 2.1 | +15% |
| Robbery | 364 | 1.7 | 1.4 | +17% |
| Theft from the person | 242 | 1.1 | 1.7 | -40% |
| Possession of weapons | 144 | 0.7 | 1.0 | -6% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caversham | 1,754 | 53.4 | -48% |
| Shinfield | 353 | 51.8 | -50% |
| Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross | 439 | 40.1 | -61% |
| Woodley | 1,132 | 41.4 | -60% |
| Winnersh | 570 | 49.6 | -52% |
| Burghfield Common | 502 | 73.9 | -28% |
| Sonning Common | 209 | 35.0 | -66% |
| Twyford (Wokingham) | 413 | 46.3 | -55% |
Of the 19 areas within Reading, Abbey had the highest crime rate (429.2 per 1,000) and Tilehurst & Purley the lowest (33.2), 13 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey | Neighbourhood | 10,494 | 4,504 | 429.2 |
| Thames | Neighbourhood | 8,288 | 1,244 | 150.1 |
| Southcote | Neighbourhood | 12,153 | 1,532 | 126.1 |
| Coley | Neighbourhood | 11,609 | 1,398 | 120.4 |
| Whitley | Neighbourhood | 13,681 | 1,568 | 114.6 |
| Battle | Neighbourhood | 11,788 | 1,248 | 105.9 |
| Park | Neighbourhood | 12,156 | 1,271 | 104.6 |
| Church | Neighbourhood | 10,362 | 944 | 91.1 |
| Katesgrove | Neighbourhood | 12,857 | 1,145 | 89.1 |
| Redlands | Neighbourhood | 15,980 | 1,378 | 86.2 |
| Tilehurst | Neighbourhood | 9,956 | 847 | 85.1 |
| Norcot | Neighbourhood | 11,965 | 1,016 | 84.9 |
| Kentwood | Neighbourhood | 10,411 | 792 | 76.1 |
| Tilehurst Birch Copse | Neighbourhood | 7,845 | 515 | 65.6 |
| Maiden Erlegh & Whitegates | Neighbourhood | 9,721 | 522 | 53.7 |
| Tilehurst South & Holybrook | Neighbourhood | 7,804 | 410 | 52.5 |
| Hawkedon | Neighbourhood | 10,698 | 554 | 51.8 |
| Hillside | Neighbourhood | 12,454 | 621 | 49.9 |
| Tilehurst & Purley | Neighbourhood | 11,171 | 371 | 33.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 30% of the crime recorded in Reading over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,854).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,854 |
| On or near Parking Area | 1,171 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 1,142 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 879 |
| On or near Honey End Lane | 303 |
| On or near Cross Street | 274 |
| On or near Police Station | 268 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 232 |
| On or near Nightclub | 206 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 200 |
Of the 19,771 crimes in Reading with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,159 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 7,302 | 36.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,916 | 29.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 2,738 | 13.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,172 | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 940 | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 587 | 3.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 504 | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 356 | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 113 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 99 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 24 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 11 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Reading has an estimated population of 213,520 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (11.7%, against 7.9%), more private renting (29%, against 20%) and fewer retired residents (14%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Reading average decile 6.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Reading | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 14.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 11.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 39.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 24.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 29.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Reading a safe place to live?
Reading recorded 102.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 323rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Reading?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 7,873 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (3,276).
Is crime in Reading going up or down?
Recorded crime in Reading was up 3% on the year before: 21,930 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 21,370 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Reading?
About 213,520 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Reading?
Reading is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.