Updated April 2026England & Walestrending_down -3.7% year-on-year

Theft from Person Statistics UK 2026

England and Wales recorded 102,995 theft from person incidents in the last 12 months — a rate of 1.7 per 1,000 residents. The highest rate is in Southwark at 21.0 per 1,000.

Data Sources:Police.ukONS Census 2021HM Land Registry

102,995

12-Month Total

England & Wales

1.7

Annual Rate

per 1,000 residents

-3.7%

Year-on-Year

vs previous 12 months

Southwark

Highest Rate

21.0 per 1k

24-Month National Trend

Highest Theft from Person Rates

Annual rate per 1,000 residents

#	City / Town	Rate	YoY
1	Southwark Inner London	21.0	+3.3%
2	Westminster Inner London	20.1	-16.7%
3	Hackney Inner London	18.0	-1.0%
4	Camden Inner London	17.5	-3.9%
5	Lambeth Inner London	15.7	-1.1%
6	Islington Inner London	13.2	+0.4%
7	Newham Inner London	11.6	+4.9%
8	Tower Hamlets Inner London	9.2	+2.1%
9	Haringey Inner London	7.8	-3.0%
10	Kensington and Chelsea Inner London	6.7	-12.5%

Lowest Theft from Person Rates

Annual rate per 1,000 residents

#	City / Town	Rate	YoY
1	East Riding of Yorkshire	0.1	+5.4%
2	Hart Hampshire	0.1	-21.1%
3	Darlington	0.1	-4.0%
4	East Lindsey Lincolnshire	0.1	+12.1%
5	Eastleigh Hampshire	0.1	+3.9%
6	Harborough Leicestershire	0.1	-9.7%
7	Cannock Chase Staffordshire	0.1	+5.8%
8	Cheshire East	0.1	+3.7%
9	Babergh Suffolk	0.1	-9.7%
10	Horsham West Sussex	0.1	+3.4%

What is Theft from Person?

Theft from the person covers pickpocketing, bag snatching, and distraction theft where no force or threat of force is used, recorded under the Theft Act 1968. London has the highest rate in England and Wales by a significant margin, driven by high tourist footfall and dense public transport use. Phone theft is the fastest-growing subcategory, with London recording more smartphone thefts per capita than any other European city.

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 Possession Of Weapons Public Order Robbery Shoplifting Vehicle Crime Violence And Sexual Offences

Frequently Asked Questions

How many theft from person incidents are recorded in England and Wales each year? expand_more

In the 12 months to 2026-04, 102,995 theft from person incidents were recorded in England and Wales — a rate of 1.7 per 1,000 residents.

Which city has the highest theft from person rate in the UK? expand_more

Southwark has the highest theft from person rate at 21.0 per 1,000 residents annually.

Is theft from person increasing or decreasing in England and Wales? expand_more

Theft from Person has decreased by 3.7% compared to the same period last year.

Which UK city has the lowest theft from person rate? expand_more

Horsham records the lowest theft from person rate among UK cities at 0.1 per 1,000 residents.

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