Updated March 2026England & Walestrending_down -8.2% year-on-year

Vehicle Crime Statistics UK 2026

England and Wales recorded 284,145 vehicle crime incidents in the last 12 months — a rate of 4.6 per 1,000 residents. The highest rate is in Thurrock at 12.8 per 1,000.

Data Sources:Police.ukONS Census 2021HM Land Registry

284,145

12-Month Total

England & Wales

4.6

Annual Rate

per 1,000 residents

-8.2%

Year-on-Year

vs previous 12 months

Thurrock

Highest Rate

12.8 per 1k

24-Month National Trend

Highest Vehicle Crime Rates

Annual rate per 1,000 residents

#	City / Town	Rate	YoY
1	Thurrock	12.8	+4.0%
2	Ealing Outer London	12.8	+2.8%
3	Newham Inner London	12.1	+7.1%
4	Enfield Outer London	12.0	+3.1%
5	Hyndburn Lancashire	12.0	-10.3%
6	Hillingdon Outer London	11.7	+2.2%
7	Birmingham West Midlands	11.1	-3.7%
8	Barking and Dagenham Outer London	10.9	+1.6%
9	Bromley Outer London	10.7	+2.4%
10	Tendring Essex	10.3	+11.1%

Lowest Vehicle Crime Rates

Annual rate per 1,000 residents

#	City / Town	Rate	YoY
1	Cheltenham Gloucestershire	0.1	-99.7%
2	Eden	0.4	+13650.0%
3	Broadland Norfolk	0.6	-3.3%
4	City of London Inner London	0.6	+0.9%
5	Ryedale	0.6	+19.7%
6	Pembrokeshire	0.7	+22.1%
7	Isle of Wight	0.7	-3.4%
8	South Norfolk Norfolk	0.7	-4.1%
9	Craven	0.8	-15.3%
10	North Norfolk Norfolk	0.9	+12.3%

What is Vehicle Crime?

Vehicle crime is recorded under the Theft Act 1968 and covers theft of a motor vehicle, theft from a motor vehicle, and interference with a motor vehicle. It is one of the most frequently cited crime types by insurers — postcode-level vehicle crime rates directly influence car and van insurance premiums quoted by comparison sites such as Compare the Market and GoCompare. England and Wales record approximately 450,000 vehicle crime incidents per year.

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 Theft From The Person Violence And Sexual Offences

Frequently Asked Questions

How many vehicle crime incidents are recorded in England and Wales each year? expand_more

In the 12 months to 2026-03, 284,145 vehicle crime incidents were recorded in England and Wales — a rate of 4.6 per 1,000 residents.

Which city has the highest vehicle crime rate in the UK? expand_more

Thurrock has the highest vehicle crime rate at 12.8 per 1,000 residents annually.

Is vehicle crime increasing or decreasing in England and Wales? expand_more

Vehicle Crime has decreased by 8.2% compared to the same period last year.

Which UK city has the lowest vehicle crime rate? expand_more

North Norfolk records the lowest vehicle crime rate among UK cities at 0.9 per 1,000 residents.

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