In 2022/23 there were approximately 75,265 robbery offences reported by the police in England and Wales, compared with 66,328 in the previous year. During the provided time period, the reporting year with the highest number of robberies was 2002/03, when there were 110,271. From 2002/03 onwards, robberies in England and Wales generally declined, and reached a low of just 50,154 offences in 2014/15. Robberies increased from this year onwards however, with 2019/20 seeing the highest number of offences since 2006/07.
Robbery following the overall trend
Unfortunately, the rise in robbery offences seen in recent years has not occurred in isolation. Overall crime in England and Wales also fell for several years prior to 2014/15 before suddenly climbing upwards and reaching over 6.74 million offences in 2022/23. This crime spike has led to a focus on the police, and if they have enough manpower and resources to reverse this trend. Compared with 2010 there were around 22,000 fewer police officers in the UK in 2019. At the same time, spending on police services was cut noticeably for the period between 2013/14 and 2016/17.
Robbery and UK justice system
Robbery is considered to be one of the most serious criminal offences defined as both a violent crime and property crime. The offence carries one of the longest average prisons sentences in England and Wales, at 51.5 months, or just over four years. Serious crimes such as this would typically be tried in Crown Courts, yet as of the first quarter of 2023, there is a significant backlog of cases awaiting trial. This has led to an increasingly delayed justice system, with the average time an offence reached a conclusion in crown courts reaching 676 days in 2023, or almost two years.
Number of police recorded robbery offences in England and Wales from 2002/03 to 2022/23
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Office for National Statistics (UK). (July 20, 2023). Number of police recorded robbery offences in England and Wales from 2002/03 to 2022/23 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/303349/robberies-in-england-and-wales/
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Number of police recorded robbery offences in England and Wales from 2002/03 to 2022/23." Chart. July 20, 2023. Statista. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/303349/robberies-in-england-and-wales/
Office for National Statistics (UK). (2023). Number of police recorded robbery offences in England and Wales from 2002/03 to 2022/23. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/303349/robberies-in-england-and-wales/
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Number of Police Recorded Robbery Offences in England and Wales from 2002/03 to 2022/23." Statista, Statista Inc., 20 Jul 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/303349/robberies-in-england-and-wales/
Office for National Statistics (UK), Number of police recorded robbery offences in England and Wales from 2002/03 to 2022/23 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/303349/robberies-in-england-and-wales/ (last visited July 22, 2024)
Number of police recorded robbery offences in England and Wales from 2002/03 to 2022/23 [Graph], Office for National Statistics (UK), July 20, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/303349/robberies-in-england-and-wales/