London records more crime per person than the England average, but the gap is smaller than its reputation suggests and it is concentrated in a handful of central boroughs. In the 12 months to April 2026 London’s recorded crime rate was 82 per 1,000 people, against 67.79 for England. At least seven outer boroughs, including Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton, sit below the England figure.
Data: police-recorded crime for the 12 months to April 2026, rates and counts from CrimeRate’s analysis of police data. Met Police 2024 borough figures come from our London borough analysis. Updated 29 September 2026.
Is London safe compared with the rest of England?
London’s recorded crime rate is 82 per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026, against 67.79 for England, according to CrimeRate. That is about 21 per cent higher. Recorded crime is not the same as the risk to you: it counts crimes logged by police, and London’s daytime population of workers, students and visitors is far larger than the number of people who live there. Different websites also use different population estimates, so compare places using figures from the same source.
What crime is most common in London?
Violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour together made up more than half of everything recorded in the 12 months to April 2026. Theft-type crime fills most of the rest of the top five.
| Category | Recorded crimes | Share of London total | Per 1,000 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 273,434 | 30.5% | 25.12 |
| Anti-social behaviour | 235,985 | 26.3% | 21.68 |
| Other theft | 97,452 | 10.9% | 8.97 |
| Shoplifting | 87,976 | 9.8% | 8.09 |
| Vehicle crime | 81,755 | 9.1% | 7.50 |
The London total behind these shares is 896,400 recorded crimes; the shares are our calculation from CrimeRate’s counts. Violence and sexual offences is the police’s broadest category. It includes offences with no physical injury, such as harassment and stalking, so it does not mean that one in three Londoners is attacked.
Which London boroughs have the most and least recorded crime?
Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Newham and Camden had the highest rates in the 12 months to April 2026. Outer boroughs in the south and west had the lowest.
| Rank | Highest rate | Per 1,000 | Lowest rate | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westminster | 125.02 | Merton | 53.01 |
| 2 | Kensington and Chelsea | 119.60 | Richmond upon Thames | 53.96 |
| 3 | Lambeth | 103.24 | Sutton | 58.71 |
| 4 | Newham | 100.22 | Harrow | 58.82 |
| 5 | Camden | 97.84 | Bexley | 60.14 |
The City of London (21.00 per 1,000) is left out of the lowest list because very few people live in it. The full ranking of all 33 areas is in our London crime rate by borough guide. For the same borough ranking on the Met Police’s 2024 figures, and why a borough league table misleads on its own, see crime in London: what the police data shows.
Why do central London boroughs look worse than they are?
A crime rate divides recorded crime by the people who live in an area, but the crimes are committed where people are. Westminster’s rate is 125.02 per 1,000 in CrimeRate’s figures and 349.9 per 1,000 residents in the Met Police’s 2024 figures we cite in our London analysis. The sources count differently, but both put Westminster first, and the reason is the same: offices, theatres, shops, stations and tourist sites bring in far more people than live there. In central boroughs theft, especially theft from the person, is the most commonly reported offence, which fits crowded pavements and transport hubs rather than danger to people who live on the side streets.
Is London safe for tourists?
The data points to theft, not violence against visitors, as the everyday issue in the busiest parts of the capital. In our July 2026 sample of small areas, theft from the person made up 32 per cent of incidents logged near Westminster and 38 per cent near Shoreditch; the samples and their limits are set out in our London analysis. The practical takeaway is to look after phones and bags in crowds and at stations, and to check the specific area you are staying in rather than relying on a city-wide number.
Is London safe at night?
Police street-level data does not include the time of day, so it cannot show whether a borough is riskier after dark. What it does show is the kind of crime that dominates: violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour are the two largest categories across London. If you are walking home late, look at the streets on your route rather than the borough it passes through.
How do I check a specific London area or postcode?
- Enter a postcode in the postcode checker to see 12 months of police-recorded crime and the trend by month.
- Compare two places side by side, for example Westminster and Camden Town or Notting Hill and Canary Wharf.
- Zoom into the UK crime map to see what was recorded near a street.
These figures describe areas, not addresses, and 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?
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London crime FAQ
What is the crime rate in London?
82 recorded crimes per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026, compared with 67.79 for England (CrimeRate). Central boroughs are inflated by workers and visitors.
Which is the safest borough in London?
On CrimeRate’s figures Merton had the lowest borough rate (53.01 per 1,000), followed by Richmond upon Thames (53.96) and Sutton (58.71). On the Met Police’s 2024 figures Richmond upon Thames was lowest at 60.7. See safest areas in London for a small-area comparison.
Is London safer than Birmingham?
On recorded crime per person, yes: 82 per 1,000 for London against 105 for Birmingham in the same 12 months (CrimeRate). Both figures are inflated by busy city centres. See is Birmingham safe?.
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 rates and counts. Read where our crime data comes from for its limits.
Looking at one part of the borough with the highest rates? See is Brixton safe? for the Lambeth breakdown.
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