Crime and income deprivation

Recorded crime in London is more prevalent in the neighbourhoods with the highest levels of income deprivation:

• Overall, a third more crimes were recorded in the most income-deprived areas;
• Drugs and weapons offences are over three times more prevalent in the most income-deprived 10% of areas compared to the least income-deprived 10%; and 
• Violence, robbery and sexual offences are 2.6 times more prevalent in the most income-deprived 10% of areas compared to the least income-deprived 10%. 

Theft and shoplifting offences went against this trend, with almost 40% more of these crimes recorded in the least income-deprived areas. 

These figures only scratch the surface of what is undoubtedly a complex relationship between crime and deprivation. For example, these figures only look at crime reported to and recorded by London’s police forces. As only a subset of crimes are brought to the police’s attention, the overall levels are almost certainly higher than indicated here. It is also likely that people have differing likelihoods of reporting a crime to the police.