UK Hate Crime Statistics
Live UK hate crime counter 2026. Approximately 147,000 hate crime offences are recorded in England and Wales each year according to Home Office statistics.
About These Statistics
Approximately 147,000 hate crime offences are recorded in England and Wales each year, according to Home Office Hate Crime Statistics. This equates to approximately 403 hate crimes per day. Hate crime has more than doubled since 2012/13 when approximately 43,000 offences were recorded, though some of this increase reflects improved recording practices.
A hate crime is defined as any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's race or perceived race, religion or perceived religion, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, disability or perceived disability, or transgender identity or perceived transgender identity.
Race hate crime accounts for the largest proportion of all hate crime, comprising approximately 70% of offences. Religious hate crime accounts for approximately 10%, sexual orientation hate crime approximately 11%, disability hate crime approximately 9%, and transgender hate crime approximately 3%. These categories are not mutually exclusive — some offences are flagged under multiple strands.
The Crown Prosecution Service can apply for an uplift in sentencing for offences where hostility based on a protected characteristic is proved — under Sections 145 and 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. This means offenders convicted of hate crimes can receive higher sentences than for equivalent non-hate motivated offences.
Reporting of hate crime has increased significantly following several high-profile events including the Brexit referendum in 2016, the Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic which saw a rise in anti-Asian hate crime. True Help organisations including Tell MAMA (anti-Muslim hate) and the Community Security Trust (antisemitic hate) also record hate incidents that may not reach the formal criminal threshold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on official UK government data
How many hate crimes are there in the UK per year?
Approximately 147,000 hate crime offences are recorded in England and Wales each year according to Home Office statistics for 2023/24. Race hate crime is the most common strand at approximately 70% of all hate crimes. Recorded hate crime has more than tripled since 2012/13, reflecting both a genuine increase and improved police recording practices.
What are the five hate crime strands in the UK?
The five monitored hate crime strands in England and Wales are: race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability, and transgender identity. Race hate crime is the most commonly recorded at approximately 70% of all offences. Any criminal offence can be recorded as a hate crime if it is perceived to be motivated by hostility toward any of these characteristics.
Does a hate crime result in a higher sentence?
Yes. Under Sections 145 and 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, courts must treat evidence of racial, religious, disability, sexual orientation or transgender hostility as an aggravating factor at sentencing. This means a person convicted of a hate-motivated assault, for example, will typically receive a longer sentence than someone convicted of an equivalent assault without a hate motivation.