Crime in Southampton: statistics, rates and trends
34,688 crimes were recorded in Southampton in the 12 months to August 2026, 133.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Southampton at a glance
- Crime trends in Southampton
- Types of crime in Southampton
- Southampton compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Southampton
- Streets with the most crime in Southampton
- What happened after crimes were reported in Southampton
- Demographics of Southampton
- Questions about crime in Southampton
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (12,709), shoplifting (3,985) and anti-social behaviour (3,902) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 112th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Southampton | Southampton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 34,688 | 34,688 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 133.7 | 133.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 259,424 | 259,424 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Southampton peaked in the year to August 2022 (39,944 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (34,250). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 7%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 34,688 | 133.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 34,250 | 132.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 34,410 | 132.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 37,407 | 144.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 39,944 | 154.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 36,639 | 141.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 36,757 | 141.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 35,621 | 137.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 37,207 | 143.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 3,381 |
| July 2026 | 3,414 |
| June 2026 | 3,076 |
| May 2026 | 3,111 |
| April 2026 | 2,905 |
| March 2026 | 2,983 |
| February 2026 | 2,594 |
| January 2026 | 2,560 |
| December 2025 | 2,424 |
| November 2025 | 2,619 |
| October 2025 | 2,875 |
| September 2025 | 2,746 |
Compared with England and Wales, Southampton recorded notably more possession of weapons (85% above the national rate), shoplifting (82% above the national rate) and bicycle theft (74% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (43% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 315 to 540 and drugs rose from 1,183 to 1,444, while possession of weapons fell from 586 to 464 and theft from the person fell from 292 to 248.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 12,709 | 49.0 | 34.2 | -14% |
| Shoplifting | 3,985 | 15.4 | 8.5 | +19% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,902 | 15.0 | 15.4 | +20% |
| Public order | 2,869 | 11.1 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 2,401 | 9.3 | 6.7 | +9% |
| Other theft | 2,113 | 8.1 | 6.4 | +15% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,781 | 6.9 | 5.0 | +9% |
| Drugs | 1,444 | 5.6 | 3.3 | +22% |
| Burglary | 1,282 | 4.9 | 3.6 | +8% |
| Other crime | 577 | 2.2 | 2.1 | +8% |
| Robbery | 540 | 2.1 | 1.4 | +71% |
| Possession of weapons | 464 | 1.8 | 1.0 | -21% |
| Bicycle theft | 373 | 1.4 | 0.8 | +1% |
| Theft from the person | 248 | 1.0 | 1.7 | -15% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Southampton |
|---|---|---|---|
| West End (Eastleigh) | 797 | 75.7 | -43% |
| Marchwood | 297 | 50.7 | -62% |
| Rownhams and Nursling | 358 | 62.1 | -54% |
| Netley | 638 | 82.8 | -38% |
| Bursledon | 493 | 67.4 | -50% |
| Hythe and Dibden Purlieu | 1,236 | 60.6 | -55% |
| Hedge End | 1,356 | 57.9 | -57% |
| Eastleigh | 3,767 | 79.3 | -41% |
Of the 17 areas within Southampton, Banister & Polygon had the highest crime rate (278.8 per 1,000) and Bassett the lowest (63.4), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banister & Polygon | Neighbourhood | 19,351 | 5,395 | 278.8 |
| Bargate | Neighbourhood | 18,084 | 4,874 | 269.5 |
| Bevois | Neighbourhood | 17,983 | 2,918 | 162.3 |
| Redbridge | Neighbourhood | 14,411 | 2,053 | 142.5 |
| Freemantle | Neighbourhood | 12,096 | 1,675 | 138.5 |
| Thornhill | Neighbourhood | 14,267 | 1,955 | 137.0 |
| Millbrook | Neighbourhood | 14,382 | 1,867 | 129.8 |
| Portswood | Neighbourhood | 14,244 | 1,748 | 122.7 |
| Shirley | Neighbourhood | 15,128 | 1,766 | 116.7 |
| Peartree | Neighbourhood | 14,088 | 1,549 | 110.0 |
| Woolston | Neighbourhood | 16,044 | 1,733 | 108.0 |
| Harefield | Neighbourhood | 13,124 | 1,271 | 96.8 |
| Coxford | Neighbourhood | 13,978 | 1,235 | 88.4 |
| Sholing | Neighbourhood | 13,781 | 1,186 | 86.1 |
| Swaythling | Neighbourhood | 17,746 | 1,372 | 77.3 |
| Bitterne Park | Neighbourhood | 15,314 | 1,114 | 72.7 |
| Bassett | Neighbourhood | 15,403 | 977 | 63.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 22% of the crime recorded in Southampton over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (2,969).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 2,969 |
| On or near Supermarket | 1,306 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 765 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 695 |
| On or near Nightclub | 446 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 377 |
| On or near Hospital | 367 |
| On or near High Street | 342 |
| On or near Waterloo Terrace | 310 |
| On or near Ogle Road | 213 |
Of the 30,786 crimes in Southampton with a recorded outcome, 34% 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 3,902 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 10,540 | 34.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 10,358 | 33.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 3,474 | 11.3% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 1,879 | 6.1% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,823 | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 966 | 3.1% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 701 | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 319 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 253 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 222 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 211 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 35 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Southampton has an estimated population of 259,424 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (14.7%, against 7.9%), more private renting (29%, against 20%) and more social housing (22%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Southampton average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Southampton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 15.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 14.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 48.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 29.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 11.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Southampton a safe place to live?
Southampton recorded 133.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 112th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Southampton?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 12,709 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (3,985).
Is crime in Southampton going up or down?
Recorded crime in Southampton was up 1% on the year before: 34,688 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 34,250 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Southampton?
About 259,424 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Southampton?
Southampton 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.