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Updated March 2026England & Walestrending_down -6.9% year-on-year

Criminal Damage & Arson Statistics UK 2026

England and Wales recorded 398,846 criminal damage & arson incidents in the last 12 months — a rate of 6.5 per 1,000 residents. The highest rate is in Middlesbrough at 23.5 per 1,000.

Data Sources:Police.ukONS Census 2021HM Land Registry

398,846

12-Month Total

England & Wales

6.5

Annual Rate

per 1,000 residents

-6.9%

Year-on-Year

vs previous 12 months

Middlesbrough

Highest Rate

23.5 per 1k

24-Month National Trend

Highest Criminal Damage & Arson Rates

Annual rate per 1,000 residents

#City / TownRateYoY
1Middlesbrough
23.5
 +7.7%
2Hartlepool
19.0
 +0.9%
3Redcar and Cleveland
17.1
 -6.0%
4County Durham
16.8
 +13.3%
5North East Lincolnshire
14.4
 -9.0%
6Darlington
13.0
 -7.0%
7South Tyneside

Tyne and Wear

12.8
 -17.9%
8Doncaster

South Yorkshire

12.5
 +5.2%
9Leicester
12.5
 -5.7%
10Kingston upon Hull, City of
12.4
 +4.8%

Lowest Criminal Damage & Arson Rates

Annual rate per 1,000 residents

#City / TownRateYoY
1Manchester

Greater Manchester

0.0
 +216.7%
2Caerphilly
0.1
 -99.2%
3Monmouthshire
0.1
 -99.5%
4Bury

Greater Manchester

0.1
 +250.0%
5City of London

Inner London

0.8
 +0.9%
6Rutland
2.0
 -0.7%
7West Devon

Devon

2.7
 +5.4%
8Malvern Hills

Worcestershire

2.7
 -2.5%
9Wokingham
2.8
 -5.7%
10Waverley

Surrey

2.9
 -0.8%

What is Criminal Damage & Arson?

Criminal damage and arson covers the intentional or reckless destruction or damage of property belonging to another, recorded under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. This category includes graffiti, vandalism, vehicle damage, and deliberate fire-setting. It accounts for approximately 11% of all recorded crimes in England and Wales and is strongly seasonal, with peaks in autumn and around public holidays.

Data source: Police.uk (Open Government Licence v3.0) · Methodology

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Other Crime Types

Anti-Social Behaviour Bicycle Theft Burglary Drugs Other Crime Other Theft Possession Of Weapons Public Order Robbery Shoplifting Theft From The Person Vehicle Crime Violence And Sexual Offences

Frequently Asked Questions

How many criminal damage & arson incidents are recorded in England and Wales each year? expand_more
In the 12 months to 2026-03, 398,846 criminal damage & arson incidents were recorded in England and Wales — a rate of 6.5 per 1,000 residents.
Which city has the highest criminal damage & arson rate in the UK? expand_more
Middlesbrough has the highest criminal damage & arson rate at 23.5 per 1,000 residents annually.
Is criminal damage & arson increasing or decreasing in England and Wales? expand_more
Criminal Damage & Arson has decreased by 6.9% compared to the same period last year.
Which UK city has the lowest criminal damage & arson rate? expand_more
Waverley records the lowest criminal damage & arson rate among UK cities at 2.9 per 1,000 residents.

Data: Police.uk (OGL v3.0) · Population: ONS Census 2021 · Methodology · Editorial Standards