Justice in numbers

Headline measures


Crime figures from Crime Survey of England and Wales

Incidents of crime against households and adults estimated from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Includes fraud and computer misuse.

Figures are survey estimates and subject to sampling variance. Therefore, figures in this chart are rounded to the nearest 100,000 incidents.

Period Crime figures from Crime Survey of England and Wales
Apr 2016 to Mar 2017 11.2 million
Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 10.7 million
Apr 2018 to Mar 2019 11.2 million
Apr 2019 to Mar 2020 10.2 million

Apr 2019 to Mar 2020

10.2 million

Dec 2022

In the 12 months to Dec 2022 there were 9.0 million incidents of crime estimated from the CSEW

Data source

Crime in England and Wales (quarterly)

Published: 27 April 2023. Next publication: 20 July 2023 9:30am.


Police recorded crime in England and Wales

Police recorded crime statistics based on data from all 43 forces in England and Wales (including the British Transport Police). All offences including fraud and computer misuse.

Period Police recorded crime in England and Wales
Apr 2002 to Mar 2003 6.0 million
Apr 2003 to Mar 2004 6.0 million
Apr 2004 to Mar 2005 5.6 million
Apr 2005 to Mar 2006 5.6 million
Apr 2006 to Mar 2007 5.4 million
Apr 2007 to Mar 2008 5.0 million
Apr 2008 to Mar 2009 4.7 million
Apr 2009 to Mar 2010 4.3 million
Apr 2010 to Mar 2011 4.2 million
Apr 2011 to Mar 2012 4.4 million
Apr 2012 to Mar 2013 4.1 million
Apr 2013 to Mar 2014 4.0 million
Apr 2014 to Mar 2015 4.2 million
Apr 2015 to Mar 2016 4.5 million
Apr 2016 to Mar 2017 5.0 million
Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 5.5 million
Apr 2018 to Mar 2019 6.0 million
Apr 2019 to Mar 2020 6.0 million
Apr 2020 to Mar 2021 5.3 million
Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 6.2 million

Apr 2021 to Mar 2022

6.2 million

Dec 2022

In the 12 months to Dec 2022 there were 6.6 million incidents of crime recorded by police

Data source

Crime in England and Wales (quarterly)

Published: 27 April 2023. Next publication: 20 July 2023 9:30am.


Estimated total cost of crime in England and Wales

The economic and social costs of crime estimates are important in helping to develop an understanding of the wider costs and benefits associated with changes in the number of crimes.

The linked report estimates the total costs of crime in England and Wales in 2015/16 to be approximately £50bn for crimes against individuals and £9bn for crimes against businesses. Violent crimes make up the largest proportion of the total costs of individual crime - almost three quarters - but only one third of the number of crimes.

Data source: The economic and social costs of crime

2015/16

£58.9bn


Prison population

Total number of prisoners at a specific point in time each year.

Period Prison population
30-Jun-2002 71,218
30-Jun-2003 73,657
30-Jun-2004 74,488
30-Jun-2005 76,190
30-Jun-2006 77,982
30-Jun-2007 79,734
30-Jun-2008 83,194
30-Jun-2009 83,391
30-Jun-2010 85,002
30-Jun-2011 85,374
30-Jun-2012 86,048
30-Jun-2013 83,842
30-Jun-2014 85,509
30-Jun-2015 86,193
30-Jun-2016 85,134
30-Jun-2017 85,863
30-Jun-2018 82,773
30-Jun-2019 82,710
30-Jun-2020 79,514
30-Jun-2021 78,324
30-Jun-2022 80,659

30-Jun-2022

80,659

31-Mar-2023

The prison population at 31 Mar 2023 was 84,372.

Data source

Offender management statistics quarterly

Published: 27 April 2023. Next publication: 27 July 2023 9:30am.


Probation caseload

The statistics count each person once for each type of probation supervision being received on the date shown. In addition, each person is counted only once in each total or sub-total even if they were subject to several types of probation supervision at the year end (the examples above apply). Thus, the sum of the numbers receiving each type of court order probation supervision exceeds the number receiving court order probation supervision in total.

Period Probation caseload
30 Jun 2010 239,041
30 Jun 2011 236,154
30 Jun 2012 230,736
30 Jun 2013 219,548
30 Jun 2014 217,866
30 Jun 2015 228,844
30 Jun 2016 258,748
30 Jun 2017 262,347
30 Sep 2017 265,047
31 Dec 2017 264,649
31 Mar 2018 262,758
30 Jun 2018 261,196
30 Sep 2018 258,157
31 Dec 2018 256,010
31 Mar 2019 255,264
30 Jun 2019 254,165
30 Sep 2019 252,197
31 Dec 2019 247,759
31 Mar 2020 241,350
30 Jun 2020 224,587
30 Sep 2020 222,657
31 Dec 2020 223,973
31 Mar 2021 224,174
30 Jun 2021 230,578
30 Sep 2021 234,827
31 Dec 2021 238,500
31 Mar 2022 240,922
30 Jun 2022 243,127
30 Sep 2022 240,674
31 Dec 2022 240,431

31 Dec 2022

240,431

Data source

Offender management statistics quarterly

Published: 27 April 2023. Next publication: 27 July 2023 9:30am.


Proven reoffending rate

Proportion of all offenders who reoffend (%).

This latest offender cohort period overlaps with operational restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a period of on-going recovery for the courts. As a result, volatility continues to be seen in the reoffending figures, with overall proven reoffending down from the same quarter last year but up from the previous quarter.

Period Proven reoffending rate
Apr - Jun 2009 30.7%
Jul - Sep 2009 30.9%
Oct - Dec 2009 31.0%
Jan - Mar 2010 31.3%
Apr - Jun 2010 31.3%
Jul - Sep 2010 31.5%
Oct - Dec 2010 31.7%
Jan - Mar 2011 31.8%
Apr - Jun 2011 31.8%
Jul - Sep 2011 31.6%
Oct - Dec 2011 30.9%
Jan - Mar 2012 30.8%
Apr - Jun 2012 30.8%
Jul - Sep 2012 30.8%
Oct - Dec 2012 30.8%
Jan - Mar 2013 31.3%
Apr - Jun 2013 31.7%
Jul - Sep 2013 31.5%
Oct - Dec 2013 30.7%
Jan - Mar 2014 30.6%
Apr - Jun 2014 30.5%
Jul - Sep 2014 30.3%
Oct - Dec 2014 29.8%
Jan - Mar 2015 29.4%
Apr - Jun 2015 29.5%
Jul - Sep 2015 29.2%
Oct - Dec 2015 29.6%
Jan - Mar 2016 29.6%
Apr - Jun 2016 29.4%
Jul - Sep 2016 29.5%
Oct - Dec 2016 29.4%
Jan - Mar 2017 29.2%
Apr - Jun 2017 29.8%
Jul - Sep 2017 29.3%
Oct - Dec 2017 28.8%
Jan - Mar 2018 28.7%
Apr - Jun 2018 28.8%
Jul - Sep 2018 28.6%
Oct - Dec 2018 28.1%
Jan - Mar 2019 26.7%
Apr - Jun 2019 26.3%
Jul - Sep 2019 26.0%
Oct - Dec 2019 25.2%
Jan - Mar 2020 24.7%
Apr - Jun 2020 29.0%
Jul - Sep 2020 23.5%
Oct - Dec 2020 23.1%
Jan - Mar 2021 24.3%
Apr - Jun 2021 24.8%

Apr - Jun 2021

24.8%

Data source

Proven reoffending statistics (quarterly)

Published: 27 April 2023. Next publication: 27 July 2023 9:30am.


Crown court disposals

A count of the number of cases only when all the offences have been completed (following a validation process) in the reporting period. Disposals figures in this report may change if the case results are entered after the first collation of the data.

Period Crown court disposals
Jan - Dec 2014 129,009
Jan - Dec 2015 130,757
Jan - Dec 2016 123,219
Jan - Dec 2017 115,704
Jan - Dec 2018 105,757
Jan - Dec 2019 99,626
Jan - Dec 2020 78,194
Jan - Dec 2021 95,652
Jan - Dec 2022 91,492

Jan - Dec 2022

91,492

Data source

Criminal court statistics quarterly

Published: 30 March 2023. Next publication: 29 June 2023 9:30am.


Crown court outstanding

A count of all cases where one or more offence remains incomplete. The data is a snapshot based on outstanding cases on the final day of the reporting period. This is a count of live cases on the system and is not a calculation based on receipts and disposals. Transferred cases may be double counted for a period while they show in both sending and receiving courts; offences subsequently entered in error may change the categorisation of the case.

Period Crown court outstanding
31 Dec 2014 56,148
31 Dec 2015 51,907
31 Dec 2016 43,380
31 Dec 2017 39,281
31 Dec 2018 33,392
31 Dec 2019 38,407
31 Dec 2020 57,242
31 Dec 2021 58,800
31 Dec 2022 62,440

31 Dec 2022

62,440

Data source

Criminal court statistics quarterly

Published: 30 March 2023. Next publication: 29 June 2023 9:30am.


Magistrates' courts disposals

A count of the number of cases only when all the offences have been completed (following a validation process) in the reporting period. Disposals figures in this report may change if the case results are entered after the first collation of the data.

Period Magistrates' courts disposals
Jan - Dec 2012 1,179,639
Jan - Dec 2013 1,556,261
Jan - Dec 2014 1,570,660
Jan - Dec 2015 1,594,051
Jan - Dec 2016 1,566,357
Jan - Dec 2017 1,509,022
Jan - Dec 2018 1,456,735
Jan - Dec 2019 1,441,903
Jan - Dec 2020 1,040,944
Jan - Dec 2021 1,170,234
Jan - Dec 2022 1,246,845

Jan - Dec 2022

1,246,845

Data source

Criminal court statistics quarterly

Published: 30 March 2023. Next publication: 29 June 2023 9:30am.


Civil courts - total judgments

Total number of judgments in the county courts. Some civil cases are resolved via mediation or settled out of court and don't proceed to a judgement.

Period Civil courts - total judgments
Jan - Dec 2009 982,464
Jan - Dec 2010 794,311
Jan - Dec 2011 748,586
Jan - Dec 2012 663,457
Jan - Dec 2013 667,168
Jan - Dec 2014 831,541
Jan - Dec 2015 867,665
Jan - Dec 2016 1,055,035
Jan - Dec 2017 1,284,364
Jan - Dec 2018 1,291,142
Jan - Dec 2019 1,323,750
Jan - Dec 2020 727,438
Jan - Dec 2021 980,474
Jan - Dec 2022 901,278

Jan - Dec 2022

901,278

Data source

Civil justice statistics (quarterly)

Published: 1 June 2023. Next publication: 07 September 2023 9:30am.


Family court - total cases disposed

Total cases disposed at family court.

Period Family court - total cases disposed
Jan - Dec 2011 233,552
Jan - Dec 2012 234,772
Jan - Dec 2013 240,753
Jan - Dec 2014 248,823
Jan - Dec 2015 221,568
Jan - Dec 2016 228,980
Jan - Dec 2017 226,998
Jan - Dec 2018 214,318
Jan - Dec 2019 234,378
Jan - Dec 2020 225,984
Jan - Dec 2021 249,731

Jan - Dec 2021

249,731

Data for 2022 is not available. Please refer to the publication.

Data source

Family court statistics quarterly

Published: 30 March 2023. Next publication: 29 June 2023 9:30am.


Tribunals disposals - overall

Period Tribunals disposals - overall
Apr 2007 - Mar 2008 550,148
Apr 2008 - Mar 2009 568,671
Apr 2009 - Mar 2010 649,920
Apr 2010 - Mar 2011 726,939
Apr 2011 - Mar 2012 748,820
Apr 2012 - Mar 2013 749,283
Apr 2013 - Mar 2014 878,007
Apr 2014 - Mar 2015 649,068
Apr 2015 - Mar 2016 372,926
Apr 2016 - Mar 2017 394,102
Apr 2017 - Mar 2018 407,638
Apr 2018 - Mar 2019 400,816
Apr 2019 - Mar 2020 378,629
Apr 2020 - Mar 2021 265,628

Apr 2020 - Mar 2021

265,628

Data source

Tribunals statistics quarterly

Published: 9 March 2023. Next publication: 08 June 2023 9:30am. Update expected here by 15 July 2023.