Crime in Wolverhampton: statistics, rates and trends
24,022 crimes were recorded in Wolverhampton in the 12 months to August 2026, 96.1 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Wolverhampton at a glance
- Crime trends in Wolverhampton
- Types of crime in Wolverhampton
- Wolverhampton compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Wolverhampton
- Streets with the most crime in Wolverhampton
- What happened after crimes were reported in Wolverhampton
- Demographics of Wolverhampton
- Questions about crime in Wolverhampton
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (10,785), shoplifting (2,735) and criminal damage and arson (1,962) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 400th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Wolverhampton | Wolverhampton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 24,022 | 27,937 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 96.1 | 99.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -5% | -1% |
| Population | 249,958 | 281,251 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Wolverhampton peaked in the year to August 2022 (33,151 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (23,524). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 2%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 24,022 | 96.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 25,430 | 101.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 28,614 | 114.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 30,879 | 123.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 33,151 | 132.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 30,677 | 122.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 24,948 | 99.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 24,512 | 98.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 23,524 | 94.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,206 |
| July 2026 | 2,313 |
| June 2026 | 2,147 |
| May 2026 | 2,172 |
| April 2026 | 1,891 |
| March 2026 | 2,023 |
| February 2026 | 1,722 |
| January 2026 | 1,830 |
| December 2025 | 1,713 |
| November 2025 | 1,905 |
| October 2025 | 2,042 |
| September 2025 | 2,058 |
Compared with England and Wales, Wolverhampton recorded notably more possession of weapons (90% above the national rate), vehicle crime (39% above the national rate) and shoplifting (29% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (76% below) and theft from the person (52% below). On the year before, bicycle theft rose from 163 to 199, while anti-social behaviour fell from 2,152 to 916 and burglary fell from 996 to 739.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 10,785 | 43.1 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Shoplifting | 2,735 | 10.9 | 8.5 | -1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,962 | 7.8 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,733 | 6.9 | 5.0 | -12% |
| Other theft | 1,522 | 6.1 | 6.4 | +5% |
| Public order | 1,364 | 5.5 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 916 | 3.7 | 15.4 | -57% |
| Burglary | 739 | 3.0 | 3.6 | -26% |
| Drugs | 634 | 2.5 | 3.3 | +5% |
| Other crime | 486 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -9% |
| Possession of weapons | 461 | 1.8 | 1.0 | +6% |
| Robbery | 284 | 1.1 | 1.4 | -15% |
| Theft from the person | 202 | 0.8 | 1.7 | -3% |
| Bicycle theft | 199 | 0.8 | 0.8 | +22% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Wolverhampton; the highest is Bilston (Wolverhampton) (119.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Codsall (53.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Wolverhampton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilston (Wolverhampton) | 4,386 | 119.0 | +24% |
| Perton | 452 | 54.5 | -43% |
| Willenhall | 5,492 | 105.6 | +10% |
| Codsall | 718 | 53.6 | -44% |
| Coseley | 1,975 | 76.9 | -20% |
| Featherstone (South Staffordshire) | 369 | 57.6 | -40% |
| Darlaston | 2,166 | 104.4 | +9% |
| Sedgley | 2,238 | 68.7 | -29% |
Of the 18 areas within Wolverhampton, St Peters had the highest crime rate (234.4 per 1,000) and Penn the lowest (45.8), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Peters | Neighbourhood | 15,300 | 3,586 | 234.4 |
| Heath Town | Neighbourhood | 15,243 | 2,678 | 175.7 |
| Wednesfield South | Neighbourhood | 15,225 | 1,961 | 128.8 |
| Park | Neighbourhood | 15,356 | 1,643 | 107.0 |
| Blakenhall | Neighbourhood | 13,629 | 1,399 | 102.6 |
| East Park | Neighbourhood | 14,725 | 1,475 | 100.2 |
| Graiseley | Neighbourhood | 14,284 | 1,278 | 89.5 |
| Ettingshall North | Neighbourhood | 15,984 | 1,428 | 89.3 |
| Fallings Park | Neighbourhood | 13,079 | 1,150 | 87.9 |
| Bushbury South & Low Hill | Neighbourhood | 16,543 | 1,408 | 85.1 |
| Oxley | Neighbourhood | 14,091 | 1,106 | 78.5 |
| Bushbury North | Neighbourhood | 13,536 | 1,006 | 74.3 |
| Wednesfield North | Neighbourhood | 10,955 | 770 | 70.3 |
| Ettingshall South & Spring Vale | Neighbourhood | 13,601 | 871 | 64.0 |
| Tettenhall Wightwick | Neighbourhood | 12,771 | 765 | 59.9 |
| Merry Hill | Neighbourhood | 12,684 | 743 | 58.6 |
| Tettenhall Regis | Neighbourhood | 11,266 | 598 | 53.1 |
| Penn | Neighbourhood | 13,001 | 595 | 45.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Wolverhampton over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,148).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,148 |
| On or near Parking Area | 873 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 538 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 303 |
| On or near Police Station | 296 |
| On or near Hospital | 269 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 258 |
| On or near Market Street | 233 |
| On or near Cheapside | 222 |
| On or near Kyle Close | 219 |
Of the 23,106 crimes in Wolverhampton with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 916 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 9,471 | 41.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 7,374 | 31.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 2,276 | 9.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,523 | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 812 | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 680 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 470 | 2.0% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 249 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 219 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 11 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 11 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Wolverhampton has an estimated population of 249,958 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more unemployed residents (5.5%, against 3.4%), more social housing (24%, against 17%) and more residents with no qualifications (25%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Wolverhampton average decile 3.7 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Wolverhampton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 22.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Wolverhampton a safe place to live?
Wolverhampton recorded 96.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 400th 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 vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Wolverhampton?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 10,785 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (2,735).
Is crime in Wolverhampton going up or down?
Recorded crime in Wolverhampton was down 6% on the year before: 24,022 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 25,430 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Wolverhampton?
About 249,958 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Wolverhampton?
Wolverhampton is policed by West Midlands.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.