Updated April 2026England & Walestrending_up +2.8% year-on-year

Weapons Possession Statistics UK 2026

England and Wales recorded 55,025 weapons possession incidents in the last 12 months — a rate of 0.9 per 1,000 residents. The highest rate is in Crawley at 5.3 per 1,000.

Data Sources:Police.ukONS Census 2021HM Land Registry

55,025

12-Month Total

England & Wales

0.9

Annual Rate

per 1,000 residents

+2.8%

Year-on-Year

vs previous 12 months

Crawley

Highest Rate

5.3 per 1k

24-Month National Trend

Highest Weapons Possession Rates

Annual rate per 1,000 residents

#	City / Town	Rate	YoY
1	Crawley West Sussex	5.3	-2.3%
2	Hastings East Sussex	2.9	+27.1%
3	Birmingham West Midlands	2.7	-2.0%
4	Southampton	2.4	+3.4%
5	Nottingham	2.4	+12.1%
6	Sandwell West Midlands	2.4	0.0%
7	Coventry West Midlands	2.3	-3.3%
8	Dartford Kent	2.3	-1.1%
9	Derby	2.2	+8.6%
10	Blackpool	2.1	-22.8%

Lowest Weapons Possession Rates

Annual rate per 1,000 residents

#	City / Town	Rate	YoY
1	City of London Inner London	0.1	-5.7%
2	High Peak Derbyshire	0.1	-1.4%
3	Cotswold Gloucestershire	0.1	-98.1%
4	Tandridge Surrey	0.1	+1.3%
5	Cherwell Oxfordshire	0.2	+8.5%
6	Harborough Leicestershire	0.2	-9.7%
7	Flintshire	0.2	+3.9%
8	Blaby Leicestershire	0.2	-1.8%
9	Craven	0.2	-10.0%
10	Gateshead Tyne and Wear	0.2	-11.6%

What is Weapons Possession?

Weapons possession offences recorded by Police.uk include possession of a bladed article or offensive weapon in a public place under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Prevention of Crime Act 1953, as well as possession of a firearm under the Firearms Act 1968. Knife crime is the dominant subcategory. England and Wales record around 50,000 weapons possession offences annually, with the highest rates in London, West Midlands, and Greater Manchester.

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 Drugs Other Crime Other Theft Public Order Robbery Shoplifting Theft From The Person Vehicle Crime Violence And Sexual Offences

Frequently Asked Questions

How many weapons possession incidents are recorded in England and Wales each year? expand_more

In the 12 months to 2026-04, 55,025 weapons possession incidents were recorded in England and Wales — a rate of 0.9 per 1,000 residents.

Which city has the highest weapons possession rate in the UK? expand_more

Crawley has the highest weapons possession rate at 5.3 per 1,000 residents annually.

Is weapons possession increasing or decreasing in England and Wales? expand_more

Weapons Possession has increased by 2.8% compared to the same period last year.

Which UK city has the lowest weapons possession rate? expand_more

Gateshead records the lowest weapons possession rate among UK cities at 0.2 per 1,000 residents.

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