Updated March 2026England & Walestrending_up +13.3% year-on-year

Drug Offences Statistics UK 2026

England and Wales recorded 198,236 drug offences incidents in the last 12 months — a rate of 3.2 per 1,000 residents. The highest rate is in St. Helens at 14.5 per 1,000.

Data Sources:Police.ukONS Census 2021HM Land Registry

198,236

12-Month Total

England & Wales

3.2

Annual Rate

per 1,000 residents

+13.3%

Year-on-Year

vs previous 12 months

St. Helens

Highest Rate

14.5 per 1k

24-Month National Trend

Highest Drug Offences Rates

Annual rate per 1,000 residents

#	City / Town	Rate	YoY
1	St. Helens Merseyside	14.5	+3.5%
2	Liverpool Merseyside	14.5	-0.1%
3	Harlow Essex	9.5	-4.7%
4	Derby	8.4	+2.9%
5	Hackney Inner London	8.2	-0.7%
6	Middlesbrough	7.8	+7.7%
7	Knowsley Merseyside	7.6	+8.1%
8	Islington Inner London	7.4	-2.5%
9	Newham Inner London	7.1	+7.1%
10	Brent Outer London	7.0	+4.8%

Lowest Drug Offences Rates

Annual rate per 1,000 residents

#	City / Town	Rate	YoY
1	Stockport Greater Manchester	0.0	-33.3%
2	Trafford Greater Manchester	0.0	+200.0%
3	Wigan Greater Manchester	0.0	-28.6%
4	Monmouthshire	0.1	-99.5%
5	Newport	0.1	-99.7%
6	Caerphilly	0.1	-99.2%
7	Blaenau Gwent	0.2	-99.7%
8	Ribble Valley Lancashire	0.4	-3.5%
9	Broadland Norfolk	0.6	-3.3%
10	Fylde Lancashire	0.6	-13.9%

What is Drug Offences?

Drug offences recorded by Police.uk include possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to supply, and drug trafficking, under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Recorded drug offences are heavily influenced by local policing priorities — forces that actively pursue drug enforcement will show higher rates than those that do not. Drug offence hotspots are strongly correlated with county lines activity and urban deprivation.

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

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Other Crime Types

Anti-Social Behaviour Bicycle Theft Burglary Criminal Damage And Arson 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 drug offences incidents are recorded in England and Wales each year? expand_more

In the 12 months to 2026-03, 198,236 drug offences incidents were recorded in England and Wales — a rate of 3.2 per 1,000 residents.

Which city has the highest drug offences rate in the UK? expand_more

St. Helens has the highest drug offences rate at 14.5 per 1,000 residents annually.

Is drug offences increasing or decreasing in England and Wales? expand_more

Drug Offences has increased by 13.3% compared to the same period last year.

Which UK city has the lowest drug offences rate? expand_more

Fylde records the lowest drug offences rate among UK cities at 0.6 per 1,000 residents.

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