Crime in Ringwood: statistics, rates and trends
920 crimes were recorded in Ringwood in the 12 months to August 2026, 71.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Ringwood at a glance
- Crime trends in Ringwood
- Types of crime in Ringwood
- Ringwood compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Ringwood
- Streets with the most crime in Ringwood
- What happened after crimes were reported in Ringwood
- Demographics of Ringwood
- Questions about crime in Ringwood
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (319), anti-social behaviour (147) and criminal damage and arson (99) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 751st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Ringwood | New Forest | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 920 | 10,266 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 71.3 | 58.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | -7% | -1% |
| Population | 12,904 | 176,116 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Ringwood peaked in the year to August 2020 (1,074 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (882). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 2%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 920 | 71.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 944 | 73.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 930 | 72.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 882 | 68.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,064 | 82.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 939 | 72.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,074 | 83.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,004 | 77.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 943 | 73.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 95 |
| July 2026 | 91 |
| June 2026 | 76 |
| May 2026 | 82 |
| April 2026 | 77 |
| March 2026 | 70 |
| February 2026 | 75 |
| January 2026 | 72 |
| December 2025 | 86 |
| November 2025 | 70 |
| October 2025 | 66 |
| September 2025 | 60 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and public order (35% below) and other theft (30% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 83 to 147 and criminal damage and arson rose from 67 to 99, while burglary fell from 55 to 34 and public order fell from 83 to 56.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 319 | 24.7 | 34.2 | -12% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 147 | 11.4 | 15.4 | +77% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 99 | 7.7 | 6.7 | +48% |
| Shoplifting | 81 | 6.3 | 8.5 | -28% |
| Vehicle crime | 67 | 5.2 | 5.0 | +24% |
| Other theft | 58 | 4.5 | 6.4 | -8% |
| Public order | 56 | 4.3 | 6.7 | -33% |
| Burglary | 34 | 2.6 | 3.6 | -38% |
| Other crime | 16 | 1.2 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Robbery | 15 | 1.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Drugs | 9 | 0.7 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 6 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Ringwood; the highest is Bournemouth (108.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Verwood (35.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Ringwood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Heath | 319 | 39.2 | -45% |
| Verwood | 508 | 35.5 | -50% |
| West Moors | 448 | 42.8 | -40% |
| Fordingbridge | 408 | 75.2 | +6% |
| Ferndown | 545 | 39.6 | -45% |
| Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) | 2,773 | 58.0 | -19% |
| New Milton | 1,021 | 97.7 | +37% |
| Bournemouth | 21,896 | 108.0 | +52% |
Of the 2 areas within Ringwood, Ringwood South had the highest crime rate (95.7 per 1,000) and Ringwood North & Ellingham the lowest (41.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ringwood South | Neighbourhood | 8,149 | 780 | 95.7 |
| Ringwood North & Ellingham | Neighbourhood | 7,398 | 303 | 41.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 39% of the crime recorded in Ringwood over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (117).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 117 |
| On or near Parking Area | 56 |
| On or near Crow Arch Lane | 29 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 29 |
| On or near High Street | 26 |
| On or near Poulner Park | 26 |
| On or near Mansfield Road | 23 |
| On or near Whitehart Fields | 20 |
| On or near Kingsbury'S Lane | 19 |
| On or near Spittlefields | 16 |
Of the 773 crimes in Ringwood with a recorded outcome, 39% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 147 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 298 | 38.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 243 | 31.4% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 104 | 13.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 34 | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 30 | 3.9% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 23 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 20 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 7 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 6 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Ringwood has an estimated population of 12,904 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (14%, against 23%), fewer students (4.9%, against 7.9%) and less social housing (11%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Ringwood average decile 7.4 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Ringwood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 25.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 29.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Ringwood a safe place to live?
Ringwood recorded 71.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 751st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Ringwood?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 319 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (147).
Is crime in Ringwood going up or down?
Recorded crime in Ringwood was down 3% on the year before: 920 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 944 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Ringwood?
About 12,904 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 26% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Ringwood?
Ringwood 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.