Area type
Metropolitan County
Population
1,423,145
Murder rate
1.5
Burglary rate
477.8
Drug offences rate
842.8
Weapon offences rate
92.7
All crime rates are the total number of reported incidents per 100,000 population
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All crime rates are the total number of reported incidents per 100,000 population
The crime rate in Merseyside is 12,014 incidents per 100,000 population, according to figures published by the ONS for the year ending July 2022. In the year ending July 2022, there were 170,977 incidents of crime, a 32,600 increase in incidents when compared to the previous year. Compare crime rate by area.
The number of incidents of crime in Merseyside grew by 23.6% between the years ending July 2021 and July 2022. Between 2011 and 2021, crime incidents on average grew by 4.7% per year.
There were 70,610 violent crime incidents (violent crime rate 4,962) in Merseyside in the year ending July 2022. The chance of being involved in a violent crime incident in Merseyside is about a 4.96% chance per year.
There were 35,134 incidents of theft (theft crime rate 2,469) in Merseyside in the year ending July 2022. The chance of being involved in an incident of theft in Merseyside is about a 2.47% chance per year.
The murder rate or homicide rate in Merseyside is 1.5. There were 21 recorded murders in the year ending July 2022 in Merseyside, a decrease of when compared to the previous year.
The safest area in Merseyside is Wirral when ordered by crime rate, where the crime rate is 9,643. The most dangerous area in Merseyside is Liverpool, where the crime rate is 15,309. The crime rate in Liverpool is 1.6 times higher than in Wirral.
Between the year ending July 2021 and the year ending July 2022, there was an overall 24% growth in crime in Merseyside. In England, crime increased by 11.3% year on year.
The fastest-growing type of crime in Merseyside is Theft from the person which changed by 138.9% in the last year. In England, the largest growing type of crime was Theft from the person which changed by 63.8% in the last year
The type of crime that saw the biggest reduction in the last year in Merseyside was Residential burglary which changed by -14.7% in the last year. In England, the largest declinings type of crime was Drug offences which decreased by 12.2% in the last year
Incidents of violence with injury in Merseyside have risen by 113.7% between 2011 and 2021 from 6,268 to 13,392 incidents per year. Murders or homicides have decreased by 45.5% from 22 to 12 per year.
Stabbings and shootings in Merseyside are grouped into either violence resulting in injury if wounding occurred, or homicide if death occurred.
Violence crimes include Violence with injury (wounding and assault with minor injury), violence without injury (where the victim is punched, kicked, pushed or jostled with no resulting injury), homicide, death or serious injury by dangerous driving, and stalking and harassment.
Incidents of Residential Burglary in Merseyside have fallen by 12.3% between 2011 and 2021 from 6,695 to 5,874 incidents per year. Incidents of vehicle theft have decreased by 26.1% from 8,455 to 6,249 per year.
Theft crimes include Bicycle theft, Domestic burglary, Vehicle-related theft offences and other household theft offences. Domestic burglary figures are not available for 2018.
Merseyside Economy
Merseyside Demographics
Merseyside House Prices
Recorded incidents of crime in Merseyside between June 2021 and July 2022, split by type of crime. Includes total incidents of crime, crime rate (incidents per 100,000 population), and incidents as a percentage of the total number of crimes.
Type | Incidents | crime rate | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 30,315 | 2,130 | 18% |
| Public order offences | 26,116 | 1,835 | 15% |
| Stalking and harassment | 24,245 | 1,704 | 14% |
| Criminal damage | 16,165 | 1,136 | 9% |
| Violence with injury | 16,003 | 1,124 | 9% |
| Drug offences | 11,994 | 843 | 7% |
| All other theft offences | 9,294 | 653 | 5% |
| Vehicle offences | 7,399 | 520 | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 7,171 | 504 | 4% |
| Residential burglary | 5,012 | 352 | 3% |
The safest area in Merseyside based on crime rate is Wirral, where the crime rate is 9,643. In the past year, there were 30,916 total incidents of crime in Wirral.
Rank | Area | incidents | Crime rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wirral Metropolitan District | 30,916 | 9,643 |
| 2 | Sefton Metropolitan District | 27,653 | 9,887 |
| 3 | Knowsley Metropolitan District | 16,382 | 10,571 |
| 4 | St. Helens Metropolitan District | 21,856 | 11,918 |
| 5 | Liverpool Metropolitan District | 74,170 | 15,309 |
The most dangerous area in Merseyside based on crime rate is Liverpool, where the crime rate is 15,309. In the past year, there were 74,170 total incidents of crime in Liverpool.
Rank | Area | Incidents | Crime rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool Metropolitan District | 74,170 | 15,309 |
| 2 | St. Helens Metropolitan District | 21,856 | 11,918 |
| 3 | Knowsley Metropolitan District | 16,382 | 10,571 |
| 4 | Sefton Metropolitan District | 27,653 | 9,887 |
| 5 | Wirral Metropolitan District | 30,916 | 9,643 |
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2022. ONS Local statistics, Home Office - Police Recorded Crime