Crimes recorded by neighbourhood income deprivation decile in London (2023)
Recorded crime in London is more prevalent in the neighbourhoods with the higher levels of income deprivation:
- Overall, 40% more crimes were recorded in the most income-deprived areas in 2023, compared to the least income-deprived 10%
- Violence, robbery and sexual offences are 2.1 times more prevalent in the most income-deprived 10% of areas compared to the least income-deprived 10%
- Drugs and weapons offences, as well as Anti-social behaviour, public order and miscellaneous offences, are 2.2 times more prevalent in the most income-deprived 10% of areas compared to the least income-deprived 10%.
This latest crime data covering January - December 2023 shows a similar distribution of reported offences compared to the January 2022 - December 2022 period. While crime in the most deprived neighbourhoods has decreased by 3.5% between the two periods, it increased by 4.8% in the least deprived neighbourhoods. And although crime has decreased overall, Theft and Shoplifting offences have increased, with Arson, burglary and criminal damage offences very slightly increasing as well. The increase in the Theft and shoplifting category is driven by all constituent offences other than bicycle theft, whilst the increase in the Arson, burglary and criminal damage offences category is driven by increases in criminal damage and arson outweighing decreases in burglary from 2022-2023.
These figures only scratch the surface of what is undoubtedly a complex relationship between crime and deprivation. For example, these figures only look at crime reported to and recorded by London’s police forces. As only a subset of crimes are brought to the police’s attention, the overall levels are almost certainly higher than indicated here. It is also likely that people have differing likelihoods of reporting a crime to the police.
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