New Home Office figures reveal that police recorded nearly 10,000 rapes and 20,000 other sexual offences across London in the year ending March 2026, with a 6% increase in total sexual offences to 28,203. The data, which includes rape, sexual assault, exposure, voyeurism, and grooming, shows that while overall crime has generally fallen over the past decade, sexual offending continues to rise nationally, increasing by 4% last year and more than doubling since 2016, likely reflecting greater victim confidence in reporting.
Camden and Kensington Lead London's Crime Rates
In London, Camden recorded the capital's highest crime rate for sexual offences, with 950 offences including 337 rapes, translating to 4.4 crimes per 1,000 residents. Kensington and Chelsea followed with 4.1 per 1,000, while Lambeth, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, and Hammersmith and Fulham each reported rates of 3.7 to 3.9 per 1,000 residents.
Westminster saw the highest total number of offences in the capital, with 1,603 recorded, including 433 rapes, resulting in a national-leading rate of 7.6 per 1,000 residents. However, this figure is skewed by millions of annual visitors and commuters, and excluding Westminster, Blackpool had the highest rate in England and Wales at 6.9 per 1,000.
Charge Rates Remain Low Despite Rise in Reports
Despite the increase in reports, conviction rates remain low. Nationally, fewer than one in 20 (4.7%) of recorded sexual offences resulted in a charge, and the rate for rape was even lower at 3.4%. In London, the Metropolitan Police charged offenders in 6.4% of all recorded sexual offences and 6.6% of rape cases, which is better than the national average, though some investigations are still ongoing.
Analysis of Home Office data shows significant regional variation. Major cities recorded the highest total numbers of sexual offences, led by Birmingham (5,734), Leeds (3,697), and Manchester (3,323). However, crime rates per 1,000 residents offer a clearer comparison across areas of different population sizes.
