Crime in Southwark: statistics, rates and trends
49,295 crimes were recorded in Southwark in the 12 months to August 2026, 156.6 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 Southwark at a glance
- Crime trends in Southwark
- Types of crime in Southwark
- Southwark compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Southwark
- Streets with the most crime in Southwark
- What happened after crimes were reported in Southwark
- Demographics of Southwark
- Questions about crime in Southwark
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (10,216), anti-social behaviour (9,577) and theft from the person (7,159) made up 55% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 51st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Southwark | Southwark | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 49,295 | 49,295 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 156.6 | 156.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 314,786 | 314,786 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Southwark peaked in the year to August 2025 (49,531 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (42,369). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 16%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 49,295 | 156.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 49,531 | 157.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 46,229 | 146.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 43,577 | 138.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 42,369 | 134.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 44,290 | 140.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 47,434 | 150.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 46,008 | 146.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 42,469 | 134.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,480 |
| July 2026 | 4,845 |
| June 2026 | 4,339 |
| May 2026 | 4,239 |
| April 2026 | 4,048 |
| March 2026 | 3,997 |
| February 2026 | 3,696 |
| January 2026 | 3,638 |
| December 2025 | 3,836 |
| November 2025 | 3,992 |
| October 2025 | 4,198 |
| September 2025 | 3,987 |
Compared with England and Wales, Southwark recorded notably more theft from the person (13.5 times the national rate), robbery (4.7 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (4.4 times the national rate), and notably less other crime (40% below) and criminal damage and arson (39% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 255 to 334, while criminal damage and arson fell from 2,018 to 1,298.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 10,216 | 32.5 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 9,577 | 30.4 | 15.4 | -1% |
| Theft from the person | 7,159 | 22.7 | 1.7 | +7% |
| Other theft | 5,123 | 16.3 | 6.4 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 3,319 | 10.5 | 8.5 | -10% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,426 | 7.7 | 5.0 | -5% |
| Burglary | 2,281 | 7.2 | 3.6 | -12% |
| Public order | 2,127 | 6.8 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Robbery | 2,025 | 6.4 | 1.4 | +6% |
| Drugs | 1,866 | 5.9 | 3.3 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,298 | 4.1 | 6.7 | -36% |
| Bicycle theft | 1,142 | 3.6 | 0.8 | +5% |
| Other crime | 402 | 1.3 | 2.1 | +6% |
| Possession of weapons | 334 | 1.1 | 1.0 | +31% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Southwark; the highest is City and County of the City of London (639.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Wandsworth (98.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Southwark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lambeth | 48,676 | 154.4 | -1% |
| City and County of the City of London | 9,663 | 639.5 | +308% |
| Tower Hamlets | 48,202 | 145.2 | -7% |
| Lewisham | 36,926 | 122.6 | -22% |
| City of Westminster | 86,028 | 409.7 | +162% |
| Wandsworth | 33,210 | 98.4 | -37% |
| Islington | 41,297 | 185.2 | +18% |
| Hackney | 38,918 | 145.9 | -7% |
Of the 23 areas within Southwark, Borough & Bankside had the highest crime rate (455.7 per 1,000) and Peckham Rye the lowest (56.0), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borough & Bankside | Neighbourhood | 11,333 | 5,164 | 455.7 |
| London Bridge & West Bermondsey | Neighbourhood | 13,701 | 3,883 | 283.4 |
| North Walworth | Neighbourhood | 13,659 | 3,015 | 220.7 |
| Faraday | Neighbourhood | 14,618 | 3,138 | 214.7 |
| Chaucer | Neighbourhood | 16,773 | 3,588 | 213.9 |
| St George's | Neighbourhood | 7,741 | 1,599 | 206.6 |
| Rye Lane | Neighbourhood | 19,184 | 3,825 | 199.4 |
| Newington | Neighbourhood | 16,033 | 2,473 | 154.2 |
| Camberwell Green | Neighbourhood | 15,492 | 2,348 | 151.6 |
| Old Kent Road | Neighbourhood | 16,090 | 2,315 | 143.9 |
| North Bermondsey | Neighbourhood | 16,337 | 2,300 | 140.8 |
| Rotherhithe | Neighbourhood | 15,848 | 2,219 | 140.0 |
| Peckham | Neighbourhood | 15,013 | 1,946 | 129.6 |
| St Giles | Neighbourhood | 14,277 | 1,672 | 117.1 |
| South Bermondsey | Neighbourhood | 17,886 | 2,070 | 115.7 |
| Nunhead & Queen's Road | Neighbourhood | 16,689 | 1,883 | 112.8 |
| Goose Green | Neighbourhood | 12,613 | 1,306 | 103.5 |
| Dulwich Hill | Neighbourhood | 11,206 | 1,016 | 90.7 |
| Dulwich Village | Neighbourhood | 10,239 | 804 | 78.5 |
| Surrey Docks | Neighbourhood | 13,482 | 1,015 | 75.3 |
| Dulwich Wood | Neighbourhood | 8,252 | 600 | 72.7 |
| Champion Hill | Neighbourhood | 8,637 | 574 | 66.5 |
| Peckham Rye | Neighbourhood | 9,683 | 542 | 56.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Southwark over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (2,033).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 2,033 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 1,957 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 985 |
| On or near Borough High Street | 800 |
| On or near Parking Area | 800 |
| On or near Walworth Place | 584 |
| On or near Newington Causeway | 451 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 447 |
| On or near Police Station | 446 |
| On or near Elephant Road | 406 |
Of the 39,718 crimes in Southwark with a recorded outcome, 59% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 9,577 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 23,559 | 59.3% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 7,899 | 19.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 3,150 | 7.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,783 | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,634 | 4.1% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 654 | 1.6% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 539 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 234 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 110 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 63 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 43 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 37 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Southwark has an estimated population of 314,786 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (60%, against 23%), more social housing (40%, against 17%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (55%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Southwark average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Southwark | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 65.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 8.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 11.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 54.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 60.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 31.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 39.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 28.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Southwark a safe place to live?
Southwark recorded 156.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 51st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were theft from the person and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Southwark?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 10,216 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (9,577).
Is crime in Southwark going up or down?
Recorded crime in Southwark was almost unchanged on the year before: 49,295 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 49,531 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Southwark?
About 314,786 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.1% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Southwark?
Southwark 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.