Crime in Wolverhampton
Recorded crime in Wolverhampton is 1.3 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 26%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
281,251 residents in 161 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 7.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- −26%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 26% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Wolverhampton, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.3× the England and Wales average. 99 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 63% of the harm here
- Burglary: 14% of the harm here
- Robbery: 9% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 63% 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: 11 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 | 1.8 |
| Burglary | 6.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 43.3 |
| Drugs | 2.1 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.5 |
| Other crime | 2.0 |
| Other theft | 6.8 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 9.7 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.7 |
| Public order | 7.3 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.0 |
| Shoplifting | 8.1 |
What crimes are recorded in Wolverhampton
92.0 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Wolverhampton in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 26,217. Home Office recorded crime: 25,867 (1% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 1,012 | 3.6 | Down 16% |
| Cars broken into | 792 | 2.8 | Down 12% |
| Vehicle tampering | 335 | 1.2 | Down 25% |
| Vandalism to homes | 649 | 2.3 | Down 5% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 213 | 0.76 | Up 20% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 835 | 3.0 | About the same |
| Arson | 67 | 0.24 | Down 39% |
| Burglary of homes | 401 | 1.4 | Down 31% |
| Burglary of businesses | 362 | 1.3 | Down 31% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 7 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 304 | 1.1 | Down 18% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 191 | 0.68 | Up 4% |
| Robbery of people | 233 | 0.83 | Down 42% |
| Robbery of businesses | 99 | 0.35 | Up 46% |
| Violence with injury | 2,786 | 9.9 | Down 9% |
| Violence without injury | 5,132 | 18.2 | About the same |
| Stalking and harassment | 2,925 | 10.4 | Down 14% |
| Sexual offences | 994 | 3.5 | Down 4% |
| Shoplifting | 3,332 | 11.8 | Up 5% |
| Bicycle theft | 185 | 0.66 | Down 25% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 204 | 0.73 | Down 17% |
| Drug dealing | 141 | 0.50 | Down 7% |
| Drug possession | 535 | 1.9 | Up 15% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
West Midlands Police area: 3,790 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (4,444 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Wolverhampton.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Wolverhampton, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 12,213 | 7% | 7% | 74% | 10% | 2% |
| Shoplifting | 3,320 | 27% | 2% | 26% | 44% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2,290 | 9% | 0% | 12% | 78% | 1% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 2,210 | 5% | 4% | 44% | 46% | 1% |
| Other theft | 1,718 | 3% | 2% | 39% | 55% | 2% |
| Public order | 1,526 | 12% | 3% | 64% | 19% | 2% |
| Burglary | 1,142 | 11% | 1% | 20% | 64% | 4% |
| Drugs | 665 | 28% | 39% | 21% | 8% | 5% |
| Other crime | 644 | 11% | 8% | 64% | 14% | 3% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 515 | 30% | 6% | 43% | 18% | 3% |
| Robbery | 379 | 22% | 2% | 29% | 45% | 2% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 250 | 1% | 0% | 38% | 58% | 3% |
| Bicycle theft | 192 | 5% | 1% | 22% | 70% | 2% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 2% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in Wolverhampton
Postcode districts in Wolverhampton
Monthly report: Wolverhampton crime figures for August 2026: 12-month total fell 1%
Questions about crime in Wolverhampton
- Is Wolverhampton a safe place to live?
- Wolverhampton 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 Wolverhampton?
- Down 26% over 5 years, from 36,436 recorded crimes a year to 26,898.
- What is the most common crime in Wolverhampton?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 43 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Wolverhampton?
- In Wolverhampton, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 30% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Wolverhampton?
- Of 1,142 burglaries reported in Wolverhampton between September 2024 and August 2025, 11% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 64% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Wolverhampton?
- In Wolverhampton, the police recorded 1,012 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 3.6 per 1,000 residents, down 16% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Wolverhampton?
- 1,697 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Wolverhampton in 2025/26, 6.0 per 1,000 residents, 1.2 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Wolverhampton last year?
- 7 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in Wolverhampton in 2025/26, against 5 the year before.