Birmingham records more crime per person than the England average, but it is heavily concentrated. In July 2026 West Midlands Police recorded 14,279 crimes across the city’s 44 policing neighbourhoods. The City Centre alone accounted for 1,365 of them, about one in ten, and hardly anyone lives there.
Data: West Midlands Police street-level crime, July 2026 (data.police.uk). Rates: CrimeRate, 12 months to April 2026. Updated 29 September 2026.
Is Birmingham safe compared with the rest of England?
Birmingham’s recorded crime rate is 105 per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026. The West Midlands figure is 90 and England’s is 68, according to CrimeRate’s analysis of police data. City centres push per-person rates up because many of the people there are visitors, not residents.
Which parts of Birmingham have the most crime?
The City Centre has by far the most recorded crime, followed by inner-ring neighbourhoods north and east of it. Counts below are every crime logged inside each policing neighbourhood in July 2026, so bigger and busier areas score higher.
| Rank | Neighbourhood | Crimes, July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | City Centre | 1,365 |
| 2 | Lozells and East Handsworth | 506 |
| 3 | Aston | 451 |
| 4 | Sparkbrook | 411 |
| 5 | Hodge Hill | 405 |
The full ranking of all 44 neighbourhoods is in most dangerous areas in Birmingham.
Is Birmingham city centre safe?
The City Centre’s 1,365 crimes include 568 violence and sexual offences and 232 shoplifting offences. Shoplifting is committed against shops rather than people walking past, and the area draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a week, so a raw count says where crime is recorded, not how likely it is to happen to you.
Which parts of Birmingham have the least crime?
The lowest counts in July 2026 were in Sutton Four Oaks (115), Jewellery Quarter (136), Sutton New Hall (150), Nechells (164) and Sutton Vesey (188). Three are low-density Sutton Coldfield neighbourhoods. The Jewellery Quarter and Nechells are small and largely commercial, so there is less space for crime to be recorded. See safest areas in Birmingham for the other side of the ranking.
Is Birmingham safe at night?
Police street-level data does not include the time of day, so it cannot show whether an area is safer or riskier after dark. It does show what kind of crime dominates: violence and sexual offences made up 6,374 of the 14,279 crimes in July 2026, about 45 per cent. If you walk home at night, look at the specific streets on the route rather than the whole city.
How do I check a specific street or postcode in Birmingham?
- Enter your postcode in the postcode checker to see 12 months of police-recorded crime and the trend by month.
- Add a second postcode to compare two areas side by side.
- Zoom in on the UK crime map to see what was recorded near a street.
These figures describe areas, not addresses, and they are not a verdict on anyone who lives there. Police data covers reported crime only, and each crime is shown at a nearby anonymised point.
Want this on the walk itself?
Safety App UK puts a live safety map built from official crime data on your phone, with routes that avoid high-risk areas and one-tap SOS to your trusted circle. Start with a 7-day free trial (for accounts that have not used one before; a payment method is needed), then £2.99 a month or £29.99 a year. Cancel any time in Google Play.
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Birmingham crime FAQ
What is the crime rate in Birmingham?
105 recorded crimes per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026, compared with 90 for the West Midlands and 68 for England (CrimeRate). Rates for city centres are inflated by visitors.
Where does this data come from?
West Midlands Police street-level crime published on data.police.uk under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Read where our crime data comes from for its limits.
Is the city centre the most dangerous part of Birmingham?
It has the most recorded crime, but that count includes shoplifting and covers an area few people live in. Among neighbourhoods where people live, Lozells and East Handsworth, Aston and Sparkbrook had the highest counts in July 2026.
Does the data show whether Birmingham is safe at night?
No. Street-level police data has no time of day, so it cannot separate day from night.
More on the city: crime in Birmingham and violent crime hotspots in Birmingham. New to this? See how to check crime in your area. In an emergency call 999.