Crime level statistics

Summary

There are two main sources of official statistics on crime levels in England and Wales: statistics from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and the Police Recorded Crime (PRC) statistics. These statistics are published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the Crime in England and Wales statistical bulletins.

When used together, these sources provide a more-complete picture of crime. Both sources have their individual strengths and limitations.

The CSEW is a household survey that asks individuals about their experiences of crime. ONS manages and owns the data from the CSEW. The CSEW is the best source for understanding long-term trends in crimes against the household population for the crimes included in the survey. The CSEW includes crimes that are not reported to the police. However, the survey does not cover all crime types – it is limited to crimes against residents in households, and certain crime types, in particular homicide, cannot be measured through the survey. In addition, the CSEW headline crime estimates do not include sexual offences, harassment and stalking, but the survey does collect data on the prevalence of these crime types.

PRC statistics are a measure of the number of offences reported to and recorded by the police. The Home Office collates recorded crime data from the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales and the British Transport Police and supplies these data to ONS. The statistics are a better indicator of police activity than trends in crime, because many crimes are not reported to the police. However, the statistics do provide insight on some higher-harm but less-common crimes such as homicide and knife crime, which the CSEW does not cover or does not capture well. The PRC statistics also cover a broader range of offences than the CSEW. For example, the police also record crimes against businesses.

ONS sets out in the statistical bulletin which data source is thought to provide the most reliable measure of crime against individuals and households for the main crime types. In the most recent bulletin, covering the year ending December 2023, these are as follows:

In Scotland, the two main sources of official statistics on crime levels, both produced by the Scottish Government, are the Recorded Crime in Scotland statistics and the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey statistics.

In Northern Ireland, the two main sources of official statistics on crime levels are the Police Recorded Crime in Northern Ireland Statistics, produced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Safe Community Survey statistics, produced by the Department of Justice.

Things to consider in statements about crime levels:

Note that the things to consider and look out for, highlighted below, apply to the crime statistics for England and Wales only.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) only started asking questions related to fraud and computer misuse in 2015. The first estimates of the number of incidents of CSEW headline crime including fraud and computer misuse were published in 2016. This means that it not possible to compare the CSEW headline crime figures including fraud and computer misuse with time periods before 2016.

The police recorded crime (PRC) statistics do not provide reliable long-term trends in crime due to improvements to police crime recording processes and practices since 2015. As crime recording has improved, so too has the number of offences recorded. For example, the PRC statistics show that the number of knife crimes recorded by the police increased substantially between 2015 and 2020. This may be due to improved recording rather than an increase in knife crime over this period.

The PRC statistics can provide insight into emerging short-term trends for some crime types, including knife crime, which is not captured well by the CSEW.

The CSEW is the best source for understanding trends in domestic abuse offences and sexual offences. Due to the small numbers of sexual offences identified by face-to-face CSEW interviews, these offences are not included in the CSEW headline crime estimates. ONS’s preferred measure of victimisation of these crime types is based on data collected from standalone survey modules. ONS uses the data from these self-completion modules to calculate the prevalence rate, which is a measure of the proportion of the population that experienced those crimes. Prevalence rates are not comparable with the CSEW headline crime estimates due to differences in the way the data are collected. ONS publishes separate statistical bulletins on domestic abuse offences and sexual offences.

Harassment and stalking offences are also excluded from the CSEW headline crime estimates. This is because they are repeated behaviours, and it is very difficult to measure the number of incidents that have occurred. ONS also uses standalone survey modules to gather information about victimisation of these crime types and publishes a separate dataset on stalking and statistical bulletin on harassment.

CSEW estimates for the year ending March 2023 for domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking are based on only eight months of interviews because of an error in the survey which led to missing data. ONS advises users to take caution when using these data because of the impact of the reduced data collection period on the quality of the estimates.

What to look out for when hearing statements about this topic:

It is not appropriate to compare CSEW and PRC statistics on the number of crimes. The two data sources are not directly comparable due to the different focuses (the CSEW captures crimes reported to survey interviewers whereas PRC captures crimes reported to the police) and differences in coverage (the CSEW only captures crimes against individuals in households whereas PRC also captures crimes against business and organisations and crimes against society and the state). For example, statistics on the number of fraud offences should not be compared as PRC underestimates the scale of fraud – many victims of fraud do not report these crimes to the police. CSEW is the most reliable data source on the scale of fraud experienced by individuals. Statements using crime statistics should always mention the data source used (CSEW or PRC) and those using the statistics should be aware of their limitations.

CSEW headline crime estimates excluding fraud and computer misuse can be used to compare the level of crime before and after 2016, for example, when comparing changes in the level of crime between 2010 and 2024. To support public understanding, it would be helpful if those using the statistics explicitly stated that the figures exclude fraud and computer misuse.

The use of the phrase ‘total crime’ or ‘overall crime’ should be avoided where possible as it is misleading. Although the CSEW captures crimes that are not reported to the police, the survey does not capture all crimes – it only captures crimes against individuals in households, and, as it is a victimisation survey, it cannot measure certain crime types such as homicide or public order offences. The PRC statistics are also not a measure of ‘total crime’ as many crimes are never reported to the police. Additionally, both data sources include a wide variety of crimes that vary greatly in their severity, which makes it difficult to interpret trends in ‘total crime’. It is more meaningful to use figures related to specific crime types.

Wider support

ONS’s User guide to crime statistics contains detailed information about the CSEW and PRC statistics. ONS’s Crime trends in England and Wales article explores the different ways it measures crime, which measure is best for different crime types, and the trends that emerge from the data.

The Home Office also publishes statistics on crime in England and Wales, including crime outcomes, hate crimes, and modern slavery. The Crown Prosecution Service publishes management information on referrals from the police and charge rates for rape, domestic abuse, and hate crime.

There are organisations outside government that publish research and analysis on crime, including the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research, the University College London’s Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science, and City University of London’s Violence and Society Centre.