Crime in Norwich
Recorded crime in Norwich is 1.1 times the Norwich council average and 1.5 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 17%. 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 Norwich: about 110,838 residents in 82 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 6.8/10Good
- 5-year change
- −17%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.1×the Norwich council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Norwich.
Crime over 5 years
Down 17% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Norwich, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.1× the Norwich council average (1.5× the England and Wales average). 124 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 66% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Robbery: 7% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 66% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 28 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Norwich (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Norwich council area, not only the city of Norwich. 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 | 197 | 1.3 | Up 3% |
| Cars broken into | 212 | 1.4 | Down 16% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,031 | 7.0 | Down 5% |
| Burglary of homes | 214 | 1.5 | Down 14% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 2 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in NR2
In NR2, the postcode district at the centre of Norwich, 20% 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) | 1,365 | 13% | 5% | 67% | 12% | 2% |
| Shoplifting | 677 | 45% | 4% | 26% | 24% | 1% |
| Public order | 358 | 21% | 3% | 57% | 18% | 1% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 328 | 10% | 5% | 34% | 51% | 0% |
| Other theft | 247 | 4% | 3% | 41% | 49% | 2% |
| Drugs | 153 | 40% | 39% | 20% | 0% | 2% |
| Bicycle theft | 120 | 9% | 0% | 18% | 72% | 1% |
| Burglary | 110 | 15% | 2% | 27% | 55% | 0% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 103 | 17% | 0% | 28% | 54% | 1% |
| Robbery | 76 | 13% | 3% | 58% | 26% | 0% |
| Other crime | 59 | 24% | 2% | 49% | 15% | 10% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 58 | 3% | 0% | 45% | 48% | 3% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 55 | 40% | 11% | 40% | 9% | 0% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 1% 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 | 1.6 |
| Burglary | 4.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 50.0 |
| Drugs | 4.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.6 |
| Other crime | 3.5 |
| Other theft | 8.4 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 12.3 |
| Public order | 12.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 4.1 |
| Shoplifting | 14.7 |
Postcode districts in Norwich
Nearby towns
Council: Norwich
Questions about crime in Norwich
- Is Norwich a safe place to live?
- Norwich scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.1 times the Norwich council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Norwich?
- Down 17% over 5 years, from 15,340 recorded crimes a year to 12,746.
- What is the most common crime in Norwich?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 50 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Norwich compare with Norwich council?
- Crime severity in Norwich is 1.1 times the Norwich council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Norwich?
- In NR2, the postcode district at the centre of Norwich, 20% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 26% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Norwich?
- Of 110 burglaries reported in NR2, the postcode district at the centre of Norwich between September 2024 and August 2025, 15% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 55% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Norwich?
- In the Norwich council area, the police recorded 197 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.3 per 1,000 residents, up 3% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Norwich?
- 1,031 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Norwich council area, 7.0 per 1,000 residents, 1.5 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Norwich last year?
- 2 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Norwich council area, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.