Crime in City of Bristol
Recorded crime in City of Bristol is 1.3 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 22%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
494,399 residents in 268 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 8.1/10Good
- 5-year change
- +22%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
Up 22% in 5 years Recorded crimes in City of Bristol, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.3× the England and Wales average. 105 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 59% of the harm here
- Burglary: 15% of the harm here
- Robbery: 10% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 24 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
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 | 1.9 |
| Burglary | 6.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 38.3 |
| Drugs | 2.1 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 1.6 |
| Other theft | 9.0 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.0 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 9.1 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 10.2 |
| Public order | 13.4 |
| Bicycle theft | 2.9 |
| Shoplifting | 8.7 |
What crimes are recorded in City of Bristol
131.0 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in City of Bristol in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 60,778. Home Office recorded crime: 64,745 (6% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. 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 | 1,524 | 3.1 | About the same |
| Cars broken into | 2,729 | 5.5 | Down 13% |
| Vehicle tampering | 581 | 1.2 | Down 23% |
| Vandalism to homes | 486 | 0.98 | Down 37% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 270 | 0.55 | Down 49% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 1,249 | 2.5 | Down 21% |
| Arson | 206 | 0.42 | Down 13% |
| Burglary of homes | 1,230 | 2.5 | About the same |
| Burglary of businesses | 1,060 | 2.1 | Down 2% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 222 | 0.45 | Down 23% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 201 | 0.41 | Up 17% |
| Robbery of people | 809 | 1.6 | About the same |
| Robbery of businesses | 680 | 1.4 | Up 26% |
| Violence with injury | 4,744 | 9.6 | Down 8% |
| Violence without injury | 10,171 | 20.6 | Down 2% |
| Stalking and harassment | 8,503 | 17.2 | Up 12% |
| Sexual offences | 2,540 | 5.1 | About the same |
| Shoplifting | 6,306 | 12.8 | Down 5% |
| Bicycle theft | 1,034 | 2.1 | Down 28% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 396 | 0.80 | Down 12% |
| Drug dealing | 791 | 1.6 | Up 181% |
| Drug possession | 945 | 1.9 | Up 8% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
Avon and Somerset Police area: 1,639 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (1,548 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only City of Bristol.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In City of Bristol, 7% 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) | 23,849 | 7% | 3% | 56% | 4% | 31% |
| Public order | 6,801 | 10% | 1% | 42% | 6% | 41% |
| Shoplifting | 5,599 | 13% | 1% | 17% | 2% | 68% |
| Other theft | 5,036 | 5% | 1% | 16% | 3% | 75% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 4,254 | 5% | 1% | 27% | 4% | 62% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3,810 | 3% | 0% | 6% | 2% | 90% |
| Burglary | 2,392 | 7% | 1% | 10% | 6% | 76% |
| Drugs | 1,449 | 19% | 5% | 32% | 5% | 40% |
| Robbery | 1,205 | 10% | 1% | 23% | 5% | 61% |
| Other crime | 1,068 | 8% | 4% | 46% | 3% | 39% |
| Bicycle theft | 929 | 2% | 0% | 3% | 1% | 94% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 368 | 25% | 7% | 43% | 4% | 21% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 265 | 2% | 0% | 9% | 3% | 86% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 50% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in City of Bristol
Postcode districts in City of Bristol
Questions about crime in City of Bristol
- Is City of Bristol a safe place to live?
- City of Bristol scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in City of Bristol?
- Up 22% over 5 years, from 51,500 recorded crimes a year to 62,710.
- What is the most common crime in City of Bristol?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 38 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in City of Bristol?
- In City of Bristol, 7% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 4% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in City of Bristol?
- Of 2,392 burglaries reported in City of Bristol between September 2024 and August 2025, 7% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 6% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in City of Bristol?
- In City of Bristol, the police recorded 1,524 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 3.1 per 1,000 residents, about the same as the year before.
- Is vandalism common in City of Bristol?
- 2,005 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in City of Bristol in 2025/26, 4.1 per 1,000 residents, 0.9 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in City of Bristol last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in City of Bristol in 2025/26, against 4 the year before.