The number of incidents of headline crimes in England and Wales is slowly rising according to new survey data, while police records show large geographical divides.
Yesterday, the Office for National Statistics released new data from both the Crime Survey for England and Wales and police-recorded crime. England and Wales recorded 9.7 million incidents in the year ending June 2025, compared to 9.3 million during the same period the previous year.
The increase in Crime Survey incidents comes amid a 4% rise in sexual offences, a 10% rise in robbery, and a 1% rise in violence against the person in police force records.
Additionally, the Crime Survey showed that in the year ending March 2026, an estimated 9.6% of people aged 16 and over, accounting for 4.7 million people overall, had experienced domestic abuse.
In the separate police force records for the year ending June 2026, Cleveland registered the highest total recorded crime per 1,000 people (128), as well as the highest rates of violence against the person (45.3) and sexual offences (5.1). Conversely, North Yorkshire recorded the lowest crime figures in England and Wales, at 52 crimes per 1,000 people.
The team at Polimapper has visualised this data by Police Force Area in the above map, highlighting key regional crime divides across the country.
Geodata context
Charities have reacted to the data release, expressing concern over the trends and questioning whether the government can meet its pledge to halve violence against women and girls.
Alice Russell-Harris, public affairs lead at Refuge: “Domestic abuse often goes unseen and unreported, so these figures likely represent the tip of the iceberg. While ONS has highlighted that changes in data collection, such as the introduction and implementation of new survey questions, may have contributed to this increase, what remains steadfast is our concern that the government is not on track to fulfil its pledge.”
Katie Kempen, chief executive at Victim Support: “These figures show the government’s laudable aim of halving violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade is at risk, and may not be realised without bolder action and sustained investment across the whole system, including the criminal justice system.”
