Crime and justice

Crime levels and trends based primarily on the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and police recorded crime data.

Spotlight

overall theft decreased by 20%; the largest reduction was seen in theft from the person (33%), but falls were also seen in "other theft of personal property" (31%), domestic burglary (30%) and vehicle-related theft (18%)
criminal damage decreased by 33%
fraud returned to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels (no significant change); this suggests previous increases in fraud may have been specific to the coronavirus pandemic period, rather than a sustained change in trends

The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) provides the best measure of victimisation and estimated that 2.3% of adults (3.3% women and 1.2% men) aged 16 years and over were victims of sexual assault (including attempts) in the year ending March 2022 survey; this equates to an estimated 1.1 million adults (800,000 women and 275,000 men).
Approximately 16.6% of adults aged 16 years and over (7.9 million) had experienced sexual assault (including attempts) since the age of 16 years; 1.9 million were a victim of rape (7.7% women and 0.2% men).
Despite no significant change in the prevalence of sexual assault experienced by adults aged 16 to 59 years in the last year (2.7%) compared with the year ending March 2020 (2.2%), there has been a significant increase since the year ending March 2014 (1.5%), which aligns with trends seen in police recorded crime.

The latest data and trends about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from the Office for National Statistics and other sources.

Appendix tables: homicide in England and Wales

Findings from the analyses based on the Homicide Index recorded by the Home Office, including long-term trends, sex of the victim, apparent method of killing and relationship to victim.
Drug misuse in England and Wales - Appendix table

Data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) on the extent and trends of illicit drug use.
Offences involving the use of weapons: data tables

Data tables relating to offences involving weapons as recorded by police and hospital episode statistics.
The nature of violent crime: appendix tables

Data from the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales (TCSEW) and Police recorded crime. Data are included on prevalence and characteristics of victims.
Nature of crime: fraud and computer misuse

Annual data on the nature of fraud and computer misuse offences. Data for the year ending March 2021 and March 2022 are from the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales (TCSEW).
Nature of fraud and computer misuse in England and Wales: appendix tables

Data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), including numbers of incidents and characteristics of victims.

Perceptions of personal safety and experiences of harassment, Great Britain: 16 February to 13 March 2022

Perceptions of safety and experiences of harassment, by personal characteristics, based on the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN).
Crime in England and Wales: year ending March 2023

Crime against households and people aged 16 and over using data from police recorded crime and the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW).
Child abuse in England and Wales: March 2020

Statistics and research on child abuse in England and Wales, bringing together a range of different data sources from across government and the voluntary sector.
Sexual offences in England and Wales overview: year ending March 2022

Data on sexual offences from the year ending March 2022 Crime Survey for England and Wales, police recorded crime, and victim services.
Domestic abuse in England and Wales overview: November 2022

Figures on domestic abuse from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, police recorded crime and a number of different organisations.
Online bullying in England and Wales: year ending March 2020

Estimates of the prevalence and nature of online bullying among children using data from the 10- to 15-year-olds’ Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW).

Homicide in England and Wales

Analyses of information held within the Home Office Homicide Index, which contains detailed record-level information about each homicide recorded by police in England and Wales.
Victimisation and its relationship to drug misuse, common mental disorder and well-being in England and Wales

An overview of drug misuse, symptoms of common mental disorder and personal well-being in adults who reported being a victim of crime in the last year. Data are from the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales.
Drug misuse in England and Wales

An overview of the extent and trends of illicit drug use. Data are from the Crime Survey for England and Wales.
The nature of violent crime in England and Wales

An overview of the extent of violent crime in England and Wales, including long-term trends, use of weapons and victim characteristics.
The lasting impact of violence against women and girls

Violence against women and girls can lead to significant and long-lasting impacts such as mental health issues, suicide attempts and homelessness, ONS analysis shows.
Phishing attacks – who is most at risk?

Fraudsters send messages over email, text or social media, posing as trusted organisations to trick people into handing over money or personal details. But who is most at risk, and what can we do to protect ourselves?