BirminghamCouncil area
Crime in Birmingham
Recorded crime in Birmingham is 1.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 14%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.
1,183,618 residents in 659 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 8.1/10Good
- 5-year change
- −14%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 14% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Birmingham, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.6× the England and Wales average. 111 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences: 56% of the harm here
- Burglary: 15% of the harm here
- Robbery: 14% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 13 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 | 3.5 |
| Burglary | 7.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences | 46.2 |
| Drugs | 2.8 |
| Possession of weapons | 2.0 |
| Other crime | 1.9 |
| Other theft | 8.5 |
| Theft from the person | 1.6 |
| Vehicle crime | 11.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.3 |
| Public order | 8.3 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.9 |
| Shoplifting | 6.9 |
Towns and cities in Birmingham
Postcode districts in Birmingham
Questions about crime in Birmingham
- Is Birmingham a safe place to live?
- Birmingham scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Birmingham?
- Down 14% over 5 years, from 164,859 recorded crimes a year to 141,157.
- What is the most common crime in Birmingham?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 46 per 1,000 residents a year.