Hate Crime Up 7% Across England and Wales

What's happened

Home Office figures show police-recorded hate crimes in England and Wales have risen by 7% in the year to March 2026, with double-digit increases in anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish offences. The data, excluding the Met due to recording changes, highlights racial hate as the largest share, while offences targeting sexuality and disability remain flat or down. Proponents call for action while communities seek protection.

What's behind the headline?

Critical Perspective

• The numbers signal a sustained surge in hate crimes, with Muslims and Jews bearing the heaviest increases. This alignment with political and global tensions suggests policymakers must address root causes rather than solely boosting policing.
• The data shows a divergence: hate crimes based on race remain the largest category, while other protected characteristics show variable trends. This hints at shifting target profiles and potential underreporting in some groups.
• Readers should consider how reporting practices, awareness campaigns, and community support affect these figures, and what concrete protections are available in their regions.
• Looking ahead, expect renewed calls for resources for hate crime investigations and support structures for affected communities, alongside scrutiny of public rhetoric that may fuel hostilities.

How we got here

The Home Office has published annual hate crime statistics for England and Wales, covering the year ended March 2026. The report notes a shift in patterns, with a rise in public-order offences connected to intimidation and abuse, alongside increases in violent and vandalism-related hate crimes. Probes focus on the context of protests in September 2025 and the war in the Middle East beginning in 2023, which are linked to spikes in anti-Muslim hostility and antisemitic incidents.

Our analysis

BBC reports that hate crimes rose 7% year-on-year to 146,825 in England and Wales, with racially motivated offences making up about 74% and religious offences 11,419. The Guardian highlights the Met’s exclusion from the dataset due to recording system changes and details a notable rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes. The Mirror adds commentary from Amnesty International UK, Stop Hate UK and calls for government action to fund investigations and protect communities.

Go deeper

• What concrete steps are authorities taking to protect mosques and synagogues in light of the rise in religious hate crimes?
• How might changes in police recording systems affect the comparability of these figures in coming years?
• What can individuals do to report hate crimes effectively and support affected communities?

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• Wales - UK constituent country

  Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. As of 2021, it had a population of 3.2 million.

• Home Office - Government department

  The Home Office is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for immigration, security and law and order.

• England - Country of the United Kingdom

  England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by

• United Kingdom - Country in Europe

  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland.

• Israel - Country in the Middle East

  Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.

• Manchester - City in England

  Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 547,627 as of 2018. It lies within the United Kingdom's second-most populous urban area, with a population of 2.5 million and third-most populous metropol

• Muslim - Adherent of the religion of Islam

  Muslims (Arabic: المسلمون, romanized: al-Muslimūn, lit. 'submitters [to God]') are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to b