Crime in Canterbury
Recorded crime in Canterbury is 1.5 times the Canterbury council average and 1.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 9%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Canterbury: about 57,551 residents in 37 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 7.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- −9%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.5×the Canterbury council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Canterbury.
Crime over 5 years
Down 9% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Canterbury, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.5× the Canterbury council average (1.6× the England and Wales average). 134 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences: 66% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
- Robbery: 7% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 66% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 29 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 1.7 |
| Burglary | 5.8 |
| Violence and sexual offences | 55.3 |
| Drugs | 4.6 |
| Possession of weapons | 1.3 |
| Other crime | 2.9 |
| Other theft | 11.4 |
| Theft from the person | 1.4 |
| Vehicle crime | 5.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 15.2 |
| Public order | 9.9 |
| Bicycle theft | 2.8 |
| Shoplifting | 16.2 |
Postcode districts in Canterbury
Nearby towns
Council: Canterbury
Questions about crime in Canterbury
- Is Canterbury a safe place to live?
- Canterbury scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.5 times the Canterbury council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Canterbury?
- Down 9% over 5 years, from 8,295 recorded crimes a year to 7,545.
- What is the most common crime in Canterbury?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 55 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Canterbury compare with Canterbury council?
- Crime severity in Canterbury is 1.5 times the Canterbury council average.