Newcastle upon Tyne recorded 29,752 crimes in the 12 months to April 2026, a crime rate of 82.70 per 1,000 people: about 8 per cent above Tyne and Wear (76.24), 2.6 per cent below the North East (84.89) and 22 per cent above England (67.79), but lower than Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Nottingham and Leicester. The total fell 12.7 per cent on the previous year (34,076), the lowest figure since the pandemic year, although part of that fall may come from unusually low police figures for early 2026. Shoplifting and robbery run well above the national rate, while violence, vehicle crime and drug offences are close to it. 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 (Northumbria Police, Newcastle upon Tyne; updated 7 June 2026); neighbourhood counts from police.uk, September 2025 to August 2026; population from the ONS Census 2021. Shares and ratios are our own arithmetic on those figures. Updated 12 October 2026.
Is Newcastle safe?
For most residents and visitors, yes. Newcastle’s 82.70 crimes per 1,000 people is above the national average, but it is one of the lowest rates among the big English cities in the same comparison: only Cardiff and Coventry are lower, and Sheffield is almost level. Recorded crime fell sharply in the latest year. Most of the extra crime is shoplifting, public order and violence in the city centre, where shoppers, students, football crowds and people on nights out are counted against a resident population. Theft from the person is below the national rate.
What is the crime rate in Newcastle?
82.70 crimes per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026, according to CrimeRate. That is 29,752 offences, not counting 7,307 anti-social behaviour reports (37,059 incidents with them). The rate is about 8 per cent above Tyne and Wear (76.24), 2.6 per cent below the North East (84.89) and 22 per cent above England (67.79). A year earlier Newcastle recorded 34,076 offences at 95.14 per 1,000.
The ONS Census 2021 counted about 300,200 residents in Newcastle upon Tyne, up 7.1 per cent since 2011. CrimeRate uses its own population base for the city, which is larger than that, so we quote its rate as published and do not divide the count by the Census figure. A regional centre with two universities, a major shopping district and a major football stadium in the city centre will always look higher on a per-resident measure than it feels to the people who live there.
How does Newcastle 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 Newcastle |
|---|---|---|
| Westminster (London) | 125.00 | 51% higher |
| Bradford | 121.67 | 47% higher |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 30% higher |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 30% higher |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 29% higher |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 27% higher |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 27% higher |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 18% higher |
| Brighton and Hove | 89.82 | 9% higher |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 2% higher |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.70 | – |
| Coventry | 81.45 | 2% lower |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 4% lower |
| England | 67.79 | 18% lower |
Newcastle sits at the lower end of the big-city table, close to Sheffield, Coventry and Cardiff and well below Leeds and Bradford. For the same breakdown elsewhere see is Leeds safe?, is Bradford safe?, is Liverpool safe? and is Cardiff safe?
How does Newcastle compare with the rest of Tyne and Wear?
Newcastle records 29 per cent of the county’s crime (29,752 of 102,840 offences, the county total also excluding anti-social behaviour), but it does not have the highest rate. Blaydon, South Shields, Jarrow, Wallsend and Woolsington (the area around the airport) all record more crime per head. Sunderland, the second-largest place, is slightly lower, and the coastal and suburban towns are lower still.
| Tyne and Wear place | Crimes, 12 months to April 2026 | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Blaydon | 1,695 | 104.26 |
| South Shields | 7,695 | 99.68 |
| Jarrow | 2,808 | 92.49 |
| Wallsend | 4,425 | 87.67 |
| Woolsington | 1,014 | 85.53 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 29,752 | 82.70 |
| Sunderland | 23,684 | 78.75 |
| Tynemouth | 5,570 | 74.97 |
| Gateshead | 15,048 | 73.67 |
| Washington | 3,729 | 69.92 |
| Whitley Bay | 2,015 | 53.91 |
| Whickham | 739 | 47.42 |
| Longbenton (lowest listed) | 1,603 | 42.04 |
Source: CrimeRate’s Tyne and Wear page; each place has its own boundary; anti-social behaviour not included; small places such as Blaydon and Woolsington can swing a lot on a few hundred offences. The county as a whole recorded 102,840 offences (76.24 per 1,000), down 12.2 per cent from 117,105 the year before, almost the same fall as Newcastle’s.
What kind of crime is recorded in Newcastle?
Violence and sexual offences are the largest category, with 11,094 offences, 37.3 per cent of the total, a lower share than in Bradford (48 per cent) or Leicester (40 per cent) and almost exactly at the national rate. Shoplifting is second with 4,174 offences, 14.0 per cent. The 13 categories below add up to exactly 29,752; anti-social behaviour (7,307 reports, 20.31 per 1,000, index 1.44) comes on top. The index is CrimeRate’s comparison with the national rate (1.00 = average).
| Category | Newcastle, 12 months to April 2026 | Per 1,000 | Share of total | Index vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 11,094 | 30.83 | 37.3% | 1.01 |
| Shoplifting | 4,174 | 11.59 | 14.0% | 1.63 |
| Public order | 2,775 | 7.72 | 9.3% | 1.33 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 2,769 | 7.71 | 9.3% | 1.23 |
| Other theft | 2,220 | 6.18 | 7.5% | 1.09 |
| Vehicle crime | 1,568 | 4.36 | 5.3% | 1.01 |
| Burglary | 1,359 | 3.76 | 4.6% | 1.20 |
| Drugs | 1,083 | 3.02 | 3.6% | 0.98 |
| Other crime | 964 | 2.68 | 3.2% | 1.45 |
| Robbery | 657 | 1.81 | 2.2% | 1.53 |
| Theft from the person | 416 | 1.16 | 1.4% | 0.75 |
| Possession of weapons | 346 | 0.98 | 1.2% | 1.15 |
| Bicycle theft | 327 | 0.90 | 1.1% | 1.23 |
Three things stand out. First, violence is at the national rate (index 1.01) and fell 14 per cent on the year, so Newcastle’s above-average headline does not come from violence, as it does in Bradford or Birmingham. Second, the crimes of a busy retail centre run highest: shoplifting at 1.63 times the national rate, robbery at 1.53 (though only 657 offences in a year), public order at 1.33 and anti-social behaviour at 1.44. Third, the crimes many visitors worry about most are lower: theft from the person (pickpocketing and snatch theft) is 25 per cent below the national rate, and vehicle crime and drug offences are at it. Burglary is somewhat above average (1.20), so home security is worth a look for residents.
Is crime in Newcastle going up or down?
Down. CrimeRate records 34,076 offences (95.14 per 1,000) in the 12 months to April 2025 and 29,752 (82.70) in the 12 months to April 2026: 4,324 fewer, a fall of 12.7 per cent, in line with Tyne and Wear as a whole (12.2 per cent). The latest figure is the lowest since 2021 and 28.5 per cent below the 2019 peak of 41,632.
| Year (12 months to April) | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 33,008 | 96.24 |
| 2018 | 40,417 | 117.48 |
| 2019 | 41,632 | 120.50 |
| 2020 | 34,716 | 100.39 |
| 2021 | 28,266 | 82.04 |
| 2022 | 34,067 | 98.86 |
| 2023 | 35,344 | 101.34 |
| 2024 | 35,693 | 101.00 |
| 2025 | 34,076 | 95.14 |
| 2026 | 29,752 | 82.70 |
One caution. The police.uk neighbourhood figures below show January 2026 at about a third of a normal month in every part of the city, and February also low, and data.police.uk’s changelog records that Northumbria Police did not supply February 2026 data on time and refreshed it later. A drop that sudden and that even across the city looks more like a recording or upload gap than a real fall in crime. Because the latest CrimeRate year includes those months, part of the 12.7 per cent fall may disappear when the data is complete. Summer 2026 was still lower than autumn 2025 in the neighbourhood figures, so the direction of travel looks real; the size is less certain.
Which parts of Newcastle record the most crime?
Northumbria Police splits Newcastle into eight neighbourhood areas, and police.uk publishes 12-month counts for each, including anti-social behaviour. We could read seven of them; the Westerhope and Newburn page did not load when we checked, so it is missing from the table.
| Neighbourhood (police.uk) | Incidents, Sep 2025–Aug 2026 | Top categories in August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Newcastle Central | 9,288 | Violence 239, ASB 211, shoplifting 114, public order 69 |
| Byker and Walker | 5,628 | Violence 131, ASB 80, shoplifting 63, criminal damage 45 |
| Benwell and Elswick | 4,650 | Violence 140, ASB 84, other theft 37, public order 37 |
| Jesmond and Heaton | 4,525 | Shoplifting 237, ASB 68, violence 53, vehicle crime 49 |
| Gosforth and Great Park | 3,418 | – |
| Fenham and Scotswood | 2,891 | – |
| Blakelaw, Kenton and Fawdon | 2,804 | – |
Source: police.uk neighbourhood pages, accessed 12 October 2026. These are counts for areas of very different sizes and populations, not rates. The city centre records 28 per cent of the 33,204 incidents across the seven areas, about 65 per cent more than the next area, Byker and Walker. Its published priorities, issued on 20 September 2026, are anti-social behaviour around Old Eldon Square, Blackett Street and Northumberland Street, serious violence in the city centre, and sexual offending in the night-time economy. Jesmond and Heaton, home to many students, is unusual: in August 2026 shoplifting (237) was by far its largest category, more than in the city centre that month.
How did recorded crime change month by month?
Across the seven neighbourhoods, monthly incidents ranged from 3,478 in October 2025 to 1,082 in January 2026, then climbed back to around 3,000 a month by May. The January low appears in every area, which is why we treat it as a data gap rather than a quiet month.
| Month | Seven neighbourhoods | Of which Newcastle Central |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 3,291 | 911 |
| Oct 2025 | 3,478 | 917 |
| Nov 2025 | 3,044 | 916 |
| Dec 2025 | 2,979 | 885 |
| Jan 2026 | 1,082 | 345 |
| Feb 2026 | 2,152 | 612 |
| Mar 2026 | 2,571 | 704 |
| Apr 2026 | 2,711 | 731 |
| May 2026 | 3,008 | 823 |
| Jun 2026 | 2,832 | 804 |
| Jul 2026 | 3,017 | 785 |
| Aug 2026 | 3,039 | 855 |
From June to August 2026 the seven areas averaged about 2,960 incidents a month, against about 3,200 from September to December 2025. Autumn includes the start of the university year and the football season, so the two periods are not a perfect like-for-like comparison.
Is Newcastle 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 city centre, where most of the bars and clubs are, is where violence, public order offences and anti-social behaviour concentrate, and the local police list sexual offending in the night-time economy as a priority. Robbery is above the national rate but small in number, and theft from the person is below it. On a night out, stay with friends, keep to lit, busy streets on the way to the Metro, the station or a taxi rank, keep an eye on drinks, and use licensed taxis. Check the streets you will use in the postcode checker.
Is Newcastle a safe place to live?
For most residents, yes. The city’s rate is among the lowest of England’s big cities and falling. Household crimes are mixed: vehicle crime is at the national rate, while burglary (index 1.20) and criminal damage (1.23) are somewhat above it. Residential areas away from the centre, such as Gosforth and Great Park or Blakelaw, Kenton and Fawdon in our table, record far fewer incidents than the city centre, though the areas differ in size. If you are a student, good locks on doors, windows and bikes matter more than the headline rate. 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 Newcastle?
- 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 Jesmond or Gosforth, 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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Newcastle crime FAQ
What is the crime rate in Newcastle?
Newcastle upon Tyne recorded 82.70 crimes per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026 (29,752 offences), against 76.24 for Tyne and Wear, 84.89 for the North East and 67.79 for England (CrimeRate). Anti-social behaviour is not included.
Is Newcastle more dangerous than Sunderland or Gateshead?
Slightly, per head. Newcastle records 82.70 crimes per 1,000, against 78.75 in Sunderland and 73.67 in Gateshead. South Shields (99.68), Jarrow (92.49) and Wallsend (87.67) record more per head than Newcastle.
Is crime in Newcastle going up?
No. Recorded crime fell from 34,076 to 29,752 offences between the 12 months to April 2025 and the 12 months to April 2026, a drop of 12.7 per cent. Part of the fall may reflect incomplete police figures for early 2026.
What is the most common crime in Newcastle?
Violence and sexual offences, 37.3 per cent of recorded crime, followed by shoplifting (14.0 per cent) and public order offences (9.3 per cent). Shoplifting runs at 1.63 times the national rate; theft from the person is 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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