Brighton and Hove recorded 27,848 crimes in the 12 months to April 2026, a crime rate of 89.82 per 1,000 people: about 22 per cent above East Sussex (73.56), 46 per cent above the South East (61.44) and 32 per cent above England (67.79), but below Leicester, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds and Nottingham. The total fell 4.6 per cent on the previous year (29,201), the first fall after four years of increases. What sets Brighton apart is the kind of crime: shoplifting runs at about twice the national rate and public order offences at 1.7 times, the pattern of a busy seaside centre and night-time economy, while burglary and vehicle crime are below average. The figures describe recorded incidents, not the people who live in the city.
Data: police-recorded crime, 12 months to April 2026, counts and rates from CrimeRate’s analysis of data.police.uk (Sussex Police, Brighton and Hove; updated 7 June 2026); neighbourhood counts from police.uk, latest 12 months shown on each page (to August or June 2026). Shares and ratios are our own arithmetic on those figures. Updated 12 October 2026.
Is Brighton safe?
For most residents and visitors, yes. Brighton and Hove’s 89.82 crimes per 1,000 people is higher than the county and national averages, but lower than every big English city in the same comparison except Sheffield and Newcastle, and below Hastings and Eastbourne in its own county. Much of the extra crime is shoplifting, public order and violence concentrated in the centre, where millions of visitors, shoppers and people on nights out are counted against a resident population. Pickpocketing and snatch theft are at the national average, and burglary is below it.
What is the crime rate in Brighton?
89.82 crimes per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026, according to CrimeRate. That is 27,848 offences, not counting 6,376 anti-social behaviour reports (34,224 incidents with them). The rate is about 22 per cent above East Sussex (73.56), 46 per cent above the South East (61.44) and 32 per cent above England (67.79). A year earlier Brighton and Hove recorded 29,201 offences at 94.51 per 1,000.
The ONS Census 2021 counted 277,200 residents in Brighton and Hove, up 1.4 per cent since 2011. CrimeRate uses its own population base, which is larger than that, so we quote its rate as published and do not divide the count by the Census figure. Either way, a city that welcomes large numbers of day visitors, students and clubbers will look higher on any per-resident measure than it feels to the people who live there.
How does Brighton compare with other cities?
All rates below come from the same source and method, so they can be compared with each other.
| Place | Per 1,000, 12 months to April 2026 | Compared with Brighton |
|---|---|---|
| Westminster (London) | 125.00 | 39% higher |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 20% higher |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 19% higher |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 19% higher |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 17% higher |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 16% higher |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 9% higher |
| Brighton and Hove | 89.82 | – |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 6% lower |
| Newcastle | 82.69 | 8% lower |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 11% lower |
| England | 67.79 | 25% lower |
Brighton sits in the middle of the big-city table: closer to Sheffield and Cardiff than to Bristol or Leeds. For the same breakdown elsewhere see is Bristol safe?, is Cardiff safe? and, for another south coast resort, is Bournemouth safe?. For the capital, read is London safe?
How does Brighton compare with the rest of East Sussex?
Brighton and Hove records 41 per cent of East Sussex’s crime (27,848 of 67,620 offences, the county total also excluding anti-social behaviour), but it does not have the county’s highest rate. Hastings and Eastbourne, both coastal towns with busy centres, record more crime per head, and Newhaven is close behind Brighton. The inland and smaller coastal towns are far lower.
| East Sussex place | Crimes, 12 months to April 2026 | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Hastings | 10,217 | 104.85 |
| Eastbourne | 11,329 | 102.99 |
| Newhaven | 1,313 | 92.90 |
| Brighton and Hove | 27,848 | 89.82 |
| Lewes | 1,410 | 72.33 |
| Bexhill | 3,071 | 67.67 |
| Peacehaven | 929 | 57.47 |
| Hailsham | 1,345 | 53.12 |
| Seaford | 888 | 36.57 |
| Crowborough | 808 | 32.20 |
| Heathfield and Waldron (lowest listed) | 383 | 28.75 |
Source: CrimeRate’s East Sussex page; each place has its own boundary; anti-social behaviour not included. The county as a whole recorded 67,620 offences (73.56 per 1,000), almost unchanged on the year before (68,053).
What kind of crime is recorded in Brighton?
Violence and sexual offences are the largest category, with 10,159 offences, 36.5 per cent of the total, a lower share than in most big cities we cover (Bradford 48 per cent, Leicester 40 per cent). Shoplifting is second with 4,623 offences, 16.6 per cent. The 13 categories below add up to exactly 27,848; anti-social behaviour (6,376 reports, 20.57 per 1,000, index 1.46) comes on top. The index is CrimeRate’s comparison with the national rate (1.00 = average).
| Category | Brighton and Hove, 12 months to April 2026 | Per 1,000 | Share of total | Index vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 10,159 | 32.78 | 36.5% | 1.08 |
| Shoplifting | 4,623 | 14.91 | 16.6% | 2.09 |
| Public order | 3,011 | 9.72 | 10.8% | 1.68 |
| Other theft | 2,415 | 7.80 | 8.7% | 1.37 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 2,060 | 6.64 | 7.4% | 1.06 |
| Drugs | 1,451 | 4.67 | 5.2% | 1.51 |
| Vehicle crime | 865 | 2.80 | 3.1% | 0.65 |
| Burglary | 839 | 2.71 | 3.0% | 0.87 |
| Other crime | 659 | 2.12 | 2.4% | 1.15 |
| Robbery | 486 | 1.56 | 1.7% | 1.32 |
| Theft from the person | 470 | 1.52 | 1.7% | 0.98 |
| Possession of weapons | 420 | 1.35 | 1.5% | 1.59 |
| Bicycle theft | 390 | 1.24 | 1.4% | 1.70 |
Four things stand out. First, violence is close to the national rate (index 1.08): Brighton’s higher headline does not come mainly from violence, as it does in Bradford or Birmingham. Second, the crimes of a busy retail and leisure centre run high: shoplifting at about twice the national rate (2.09), public order offences (1.68), other theft (1.37) and anti-social behaviour (1.46). Third, bicycle theft (1.70) is well above average in a compact, hilly city where many people cycle and students bring bikes. Fourth, the household crimes that matter most to residents are low: vehicle crime (0.65) and burglary (0.87) are below the national rate, and theft from the person is at it (0.98). Drugs (1.51) and weapons possession (1.59) are offences police record when they look for them, so they partly reflect police activity in the centre.
Is crime in Brighton going up or down?
Down in the latest year, after four years of rises. CrimeRate records 29,201 offences (94.51 per 1,000) in the 12 months to April 2025 and 27,848 (89.82) in the 12 months to April 2026: 1,353 fewer, a fall of 4.6 per cent, while East Sussex as a whole was almost flat. The 2025 figure was the highest in the series; the latest year is back to roughly the level of 2023, and about 11 per cent above 2017.
| Year (12 months to April) | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 25,156 | 82.01 |
| 2018 | 25,025 | 81.95 |
| 2019 | 26,000 | 85.01 |
| 2020 | 28,055 | 91.91 |
| 2021 | 23,999 | 79.03 |
| 2022 | 26,873 | 88.99 |
| 2023 | 27,387 | 90.03 |
| 2024 | 28,476 | 92.69 |
| 2025 | 29,201 | 94.51 |
| 2026 | 27,848 | 89.82 |
The 2021 dip is the pandemic year, when shops, bars and the seafront were closed for long stretches. CrimeRate also notes that public order, robbery and shoplifting have been rising over three years, while vehicle crime, theft from the person and weapons possession have been falling.
Which parts of Brighton record the most crime?
Sussex Police splits Brighton and Hove into small neighbourhood areas, and police.uk publishes 12-month counts for each, including anti-social behaviour. We looked at seven: the central areas plus two residential ones for contrast.
| Neighbourhood (police.uk) | Incidents in 12 months | Period | Top categories in latest month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regency Business (central shopping streets) | 3,274 | Sep 2025–Aug 2026 | Shoplifting 128, violence 82, ASB 51, public order 37 |
| North Laine | 1,986 | Sep 2025–Aug 2026 | ASB 57, violence 43, shoplifting 42, public order 25 |
| London Road | 1,597 | Sep 2025–Aug 2026 | Violence 43, ASB 36, shoplifting 14, other theft 11 |
| Kemp Town | 1,361 | Sep 2025–Aug 2026 | ASB 31, violence 30, shoplifting 15, other theft 13 |
| Central Hove | 1,267 | Jul 2025–Jun 2026 | ASB 34, violence 27, shoplifting 19, public order 7 |
| Moulsecoomb | 607 | Sep 2025–Aug 2026 | Violence 29, ASB 14, criminal damage 7, drugs 6 |
| Regency Seafront | 319 | Sep 2025–Aug 2026 | Violence 16, ASB 8, other theft 4, public order 4 |
Source: police.uk neighbourhood pages, accessed 12 October 2026. These are counts for areas of very different sizes, not rates, and Central Hove covers different months, so the rows should not be added up. The pattern is clear, though: the central shopping streets of Regency Business record more than twice as many incidents as any other area we checked, and in August 2026 shoplifting was the single largest category there. The published priorities for the centre, issued on 6 October 2026, are youth anti-social behaviour including shoplifting, drug dealing affecting businesses and residents, and anti-social behaviour in residential streets, with high-visibility patrols and work with schools.
Is Brighton busier for crime in summer?
Yes, clearly. Across the six areas with figures to August 2026 (all except Central Hove), recorded incidents fell to 621 in December 2025 and rose to 954 in May and 953 in August 2026, about 53 per cent higher. The six months from March to August recorded 5,180 incidents, 31 per cent more than the 3,964 in the six months before. On the small Regency Seafront area the monthly count more than doubled between winter and summer. More visitors, longer evenings and busy beaches mean more recorded incidents, not necessarily a higher risk for any one person.
Is Brighton safe at night?
Police street-level data carries no time of day, so it cannot say how much crime happens after dark. What it shows is that the centre, between the station, North Laine, the Lanes and the seafront, is where public order offences, violence and anti-social behaviour concentrate, which fits a large night-time economy. Robbery is above average (1.32) but small in number (486 offences in a year), and theft from the person is at the national rate. Stay with friends, keep to lit, busy streets such as Queen’s Road and North Street on the way back to the station, keep your phone out of sight on the beach late at night, and use licensed taxis. Check the streets you will use in the postcode checker.
Is Brighton a safe place to live?
For most residents, yes. The crimes that most affect households are below the national rate here: burglary (index 0.87) and vehicle crime (0.65). What residents in central streets notice more is anti-social behaviour, shoplifting and noise and disorder around the night-time economy. If you cycle, take bike security seriously: bicycle theft runs at 1.7 times the national rate. Residential areas away from the centre, such as Moulsecoomb in our table, record far fewer incidents than the central shopping streets. Compare two postcodes before you choose, and read how to check crime in your area for the limits of any single number. This page describes what was recorded, not the people who live here.
How do I check a specific street or postcode in Brighton?
- Enter your postcode in the postcode checker to see 12 months of police-recorded crime and the trend by month.
- Add a second postcode, for example one in Hove or Preston Park, to compare two areas side by side.
- Zoom into the UK crime map to see what was recorded near a street.
These figures describe areas, not addresses. Police data covers reported crime only, and each crime is shown at a nearby anonymised point. Read where our crime data comes from for the limits. Rates from different websites use different population estimates and are not directly comparable, so the city rates on this page all come from one source.
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Brighton crime FAQ
What is the crime rate in Brighton?
Brighton and Hove recorded 89.82 crimes per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026 (27,848 offences), against 73.56 for East Sussex, 61.44 for the South East and 67.79 for England (CrimeRate). Anti-social behaviour is not included.
Is Brighton more dangerous than Hastings or Eastbourne?
No. Per head, Brighton and Hove (89.82 per 1,000) records less crime than Hastings (104.85) and Eastbourne (102.99). It records more crime in total (27,848 offences) only because it is much larger.
Is crime in Brighton going up?
Not in the latest year. Recorded crime fell from 29,201 to 27,848 offences between the 12 months to April 2025 and the 12 months to April 2026, a drop of 4.6 per cent, after four years of increases.
What is the most common crime in Brighton?
Violence and sexual offences, 36.5 per cent of recorded crime, followed by shoplifting (16.6 per cent) and public order offences (10.8 per cent). Shoplifting runs at about twice the national rate; burglary and vehicle crime are below it.
Where does this data come from?
Police-recorded crime published on data.police.uk under the Open Government Licence v3.0, analysed by CrimeRate for counts and rates, police.uk neighbourhood pages for local counts, and the ONS Census 2021 for the population. See where our crime data comes from.
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