Crime in Liverpool
Recorded crime in Liverpool is 1.6 times the Liverpool council average and 2.4 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 13%. 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 Liverpool: about 143,829 residents in 91 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 8.6/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- −13%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.6×the Liverpool council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Liverpool.
Crime over 5 years
Down 13% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Liverpool, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.6× the Liverpool council average (2.4× the England and Wales average). 197 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 54% of the harm here
- Drugs: 14% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 31 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Liverpool (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Liverpool council area, not only the city of Liverpool. 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 | 817 | 1.6 | Down 22% |
| Cars broken into | 1,650 | 3.2 | Up 34% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 4,074 | 8.0 | Down 4% |
| Burglary of homes | 917 | 1.8 | Down 5% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 3 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in L3
In L3, the postcode district at the centre of Liverpool, 19% 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) | 1,505 | 15% | 1% | 62% | 20% | 2% |
| Drugs | 881 | 31% | 53% | 14% | 1% | 1% |
| Public order | 589 | 22% | 1% | 46% | 30% | 1% |
| Shoplifting | 535 | 25% | 1% | 21% | 52% | 0% |
| Other theft | 334 | 2% | 1% | 20% | 77% | 0% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 301 | 14% | 1% | 29% | 56% | 1% |
| Other crime | 189 | 21% | 8% | 48% | 8% | 15% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 184 | 3% | 0% | 8% | 89% | 1% |
| Burglary | 128 | 19% | 0% | 15% | 66% | 1% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 83 | 2% | 0% | 22% | 72% | 4% |
| Robbery | 69 | 28% | 0% | 39% | 32% | 1% |
| Bicycle theft | 62 | 5% | 0% | 11% | 84% | 0% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 53 | 49% | 4% | 40% | 4% | 4% |
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 | 2.9 |
| Burglary | 8.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 67.5 |
| Drugs | 24.9 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 2.1 |
| Other crime | 3.8 |
| Other theft | 16.0 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 6.7 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 9.3 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 15.7 |
| Public order | 22.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 3.1 |
| Shoplifting | 13.6 |
Postcode districts in Liverpool
Nearby towns
Council: Liverpool
Monthly report: Liverpool crime figures for August 2026: year-on-year total rises
Questions about crime in Liverpool
- Is Liverpool a safe place to live?
- Liverpool 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 Liverpool council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Liverpool?
- Down 13% over 5 years, from 34,767 recorded crimes a year to 30,345.
- What is the most common crime in Liverpool?
- 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 Liverpool compare with Liverpool council?
- Crime severity in Liverpool is 1.6 times the Liverpool council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Liverpool?
- In L3, the postcode district at the centre of Liverpool, 19% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 32% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Liverpool?
- Of 128 burglaries reported in L3, the postcode district at the centre of Liverpool between September 2024 and August 2025, 19% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 66% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Liverpool?
- In the Liverpool council area, the police recorded 817 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.6 per 1,000 residents, down 22% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Liverpool?
- 4,074 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Liverpool council area, 8.0 per 1,000 residents, 1.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Liverpool last year?
- 3 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Liverpool council area, against 4 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.