Crime in Birmingham
Recorded crime in Birmingham is 1.6 times the Birmingham council average and 2.5 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 15%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Birmingham: about 153,575 residents in 110 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 8.7/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- −15%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.6×the Birmingham council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Birmingham.
Crime over 5 years
Down 15% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Birmingham, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.6× the Birmingham council average (2.5× the England and Wales average). 181 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 52% of the harm here
- Robbery: 20% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 22 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Birmingham (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Birmingham council area, not only the city of Birmingham. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 5,667 | 4.8 | Up 6% |
| Cars broken into | 5,014 | 4.2 | Down 10% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 7,957 | 6.7 | Up 3% |
| Burglary of homes | 4,409 | 3.7 | Down 7% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 20 | 0.02 | Up 82% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in B2
In B2, the postcode district at the centre of Birmingham, 14% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 1,103 | 9% | 3% | 61% | 23% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 752 | 22% | 14% | 35% | 29% | 1% |
| Other theft | 240 | 2% | 1% | 36% | 60% | 1% |
| Public order | 231 | 17% | 3% | 53% | 25% | 2% |
| Drugs | 154 | 14% | 63% | 19% | 2% | 1% |
| Robbery | 117 | 23% | 1% | 36% | 36% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 108 | 12% | 3% | 36% | 47% | 2% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 105 | 8% | 3% | 26% | 62% | 2% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 69 | 6% | 0% | 16% | 77% | 1% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 68 | 41% | 7% | 29% | 19% | 3% |
| Burglary | 62 | 31% | 2% | 16% | 50% | 2% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 2% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 7.6 |
| Burglary | 9.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 68.3 |
| Drugs | 6.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 3.5 |
| Other crime | 2.6 |
| Other theft | 16.6 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 5.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 19.4 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 12.6 |
| Public order | 13.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 2.2 |
| Shoplifting | 12.8 |
Postcode districts in Birmingham
Nearby towns
Council: Birmingham
Monthly report: Birmingham crime figures for August 2026
Questions about crime in Birmingham
- Is Birmingham a safe place to live?
- Birmingham scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.6 times the Birmingham council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Birmingham?
- Down 15% over 5 years, from 34,806 recorded crimes a year to 29,547.
- What is the most common crime in Birmingham?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 68 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Birmingham compare with Birmingham council?
- Crime severity in Birmingham is 1.6 times the Birmingham council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Birmingham?
- In B2, the postcode district at the centre of Birmingham, 14% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 31% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Birmingham?
- Of 62 burglaries reported in B2, the postcode district at the centre of Birmingham between September 2024 and August 2025, 31% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 50% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Birmingham?
- In the Birmingham council area, the police recorded 5,667 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 4.8 per 1,000 residents, up 6% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Birmingham?
- 7,957 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Birmingham council area, 6.7 per 1,000 residents, 1.4 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Birmingham last year?
- 20 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Birmingham council area, against 11 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.