Area type
Region
Population
5,954,240
Murder rate
1.3
Burglary rate
534.5
Drug offences rate
199.4
Weapon offences rate
147.3
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 The West Midlands is 9,742 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 580,053 incidents of crime, a 91,236 increase in incidents when compared to the previous year. Compare crime rate by area.
The number of incidents of crime in The West Midlands grew by 18.7% between the years ending July 2021 and July 2022. Between 2011 and 2021, crime incidents on average grew by 4.3% per year.
There were 253,699 violent crime incidents (violent crime rate 4,261) in The West Midlands in the year ending July 2022. The chance of being involved in a violent crime incident in The West Midlands is about a 4.26% chance per year.
There were 159,544 incidents of theft (theft crime rate 2,680) in The West Midlands in the year ending July 2022. The chance of being involved in an incident of theft in The West Midlands is about a 2.68% chance per year.
The murder rate or homicide rate in The West Midlands is 1.3. There were 78 recorded murders in the year ending July 2022 in The West Midlands, a decrease of when compared to the previous year.
The safest area in The West Midlands is Shropshire when ordered by crime rate, where the crime rate is 5,551. The most dangerous area in The West Midlands is West Midlands County, where the crime rate is 12,437. The crime rate in West Midlands County is 2.2 times higher than in Shropshire.
Between the year ending July 2021 and the year ending July 2022, there was an overall 19% growth in crime in The West Midlands. In England, crime increased by 11.3% year on year.
The fastest-growing type of crime in The West Midlands is Theft from the person which changed by 66.3% 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 The West Midlands was Drug offences which changed by -1.2% 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 The West Midlands have risen by 68.6% between 2011 and 2021 from 34,684 to 58,461 incidents per year. Murders or homicides have increased by 31.4% from 70 to 92 per year.
Stabbings and shootings in The West Midlands 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 The West Midlands have fallen by 5.8% between 2011 and 2021 from 22,403 to 21,108 incidents per year. Incidents of vehicle theft have decreased by 2.0% from 39,377 to 38,590 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.
The West Midlands Economy
The West Midlands Demographics
The West Midlands Housing Market
Recorded incidents of crime in The West Midlands 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 | 94,531 | 1,588 | 16% |
| Stalking and harassment | 91,943 | 1,544 | 16% |
| Violence with injury | 67,078 | 1,127 | 12% |
| Public order offences | 53,786 | 903 | 9% |
| Criminal damage | 51,661 | 868 | 9% |
| Vehicle offences | 47,967 | 806 | 8% |
| All other theft offences | 41,657 | 700 | 7% |
| Shoplifting | 28,594 | 480 | 5% |
| Residential burglary | 23,207 | 390 | 4% |
| Sexual offences | 20,379 | 342 | 4% |
The safest area in The West Midlands based on crime rate is Shropshire, where the crime rate is 5,551. In the past year, there were 18,024 total incidents of crime in Shropshire.
Rank | Area | incidents | Crime rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shropshire Unitary Authority | 18,024 | 5,551 |
| 2 | Staffordshire County | 49,701 | 5,662 |
| 3 | Herefordshire, County of Unitary Authority | 12,310 | 6,563 |
| 4 | Warwickshire County | 40,532 | 6,765 |
| 5 | Worcestershire County | 43,101 | 7,125 |
The most dangerous area in The West Midlands based on crime rate is West Midlands County, where the crime rate is 12,437. In the past year, there were 362,683 total incidents of crime in West Midlands County.
Rank | Area | Incidents | Crime rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Midlands County Metropolitan County | 362,683 | 12,437 |
| 2 | Stoke-on-Trent Unitary Authority | 27,694 | 10,733 |
| 3 | Telford and Wrekin Unitary Authority | 17,317 | 9,318 |
| 4 | Worcestershire County | 43,101 | 7,125 |
| 5 | Warwickshire County | 40,532 | 6,765 |
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