Home Office: hate crimes in England and Wales up 7% to 146,825 in year to March 2026
Home Office figures show police-recorded hate crime in England and Wales rose 7% to 146,825 in the year to March 2026, with race and religious offences rising and other categories falling.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Police in England and Wales recorded 146,825 hate crimes in the year to March 2026, up 7%, according to new Home Office figures. GB NewsR “rose by seven per cent to 146,825 in the year ending March 2026” Read at GB News ↗ Evening StandardN “There were a total of 146,825 hate crimes recorded by police in the two nations in the year to March 2026” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Mixed · 2Race hate crimes rose 9% from 98,890 to 107,926, and religious hate crimes rose 13% from 10,067 to 11,419. Evening StandardN “Religious hate crime rose by 13% from 10,067 to 11,419 offences” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “Race-related hate crimes rose by nine per cent, while religious hate offences increased by 13 per cent.” Read at GB News ↗ Mixed · 2Within religious hate crime, offences targeting Muslims rose 15% from 4,479 to 5,132, and those against Jewish people rose 10% from 2,874 to 3,162. Evening StandardN “Religious hate crimes targeting Muslims increased by 15% from 4,479 to 5,132, while crimes against Jews were up by 10% year-on-year from 2,874 to 3,162.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “offences targeting Muslims climbed by 15 per cent, while those directed at Jewish people rose by 10 per cent.” Read at GB News ↗
Mixed · 2The other categories fell: sexual orientation by 1% (21,527 to 21,407), disability by 5% (10,649 to 10,140) and transgender by 4% (4,120 to 3,955). Evening StandardN “falls in hate crimes against people because of their sexual orientation by 1% from 21,527 to 21,407, disability hate crimes by 5% from 10,649 to 10,140, and transgender hate crimes by 4% from 4,120 to 3,955” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “Disability-related offences decreased by five per cent, and transgender hate crimes fell by four per cent.” Read at GB News ↗ Centre · 1Because the Metropolitan Police changed its crime recording system, the Evening Standard reports figures excluding the Met: 123,957 hate crimes, up 7% from about 116,000, with race (90,378) and religious (8,214) hate crimes the highest since records began in 2012. Evening StandardN “When figures for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are excluded because of a change in their crime recording system, both race and religious hate crimes were the highest on record.”“Overall, excluding the Met, there were 123,957 hate crimes recorded in total, up 7% from 116,000 the previous year.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Centre · 1Excluding the Met, hate crimes against Muslims reached 3,660, the highest since this data was first collected in the year to March 2018, while those against Jewish people (2,003) were the second highest on record, just below the 2,093 in the year to March 2024. Evening StandardN “Not counting Met data, hate crimes against Muslims rose to 3,660, which is their highest annual level since this data was first collected in the year to March 2018.”“There were 2,003 offences in the latest year, not counting the Met, which was just below the 2,093 record high” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Centre · 1The Home Office said offences against Muslims spiked in September 2025, coinciding with protests and public disorder, and in March after the US went to war with Iran, while those against Jewish people spiked in October 2025 after a series of antisemitic crimes following the Heaton Park Synagogue terror attack. Evening StandardN “Sharp jumps in offences against Muslims occurred in September 2025, which the Home Office said coincided with protests and public disorder, and then in March following the US going to war with Iran.”“following a series of antisemitic crimes after the Heaton Park Synagogue terror attack” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Centre · 1The government-funded British Muslim Trust said it verified 78 attacks and incidents at Muslim places of worship in the 12 months to July, about one every five days, and its chief executive Akeela Ahmed called for a "whole society response". Evening StandardN “said it has tracked and verified 78 attacks and incidents at Muslim places of worship in the 12 months to July”“The rising tide of hatred in this country requires a whole society response.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Centre · 1The Community Security Trust said the figures show antisemitic hate crime "remains at an unacceptably high level" and called for less incitement connected to conflict overseas. Evening StandardN “show that antisemitic hate crime remains at an unacceptably high level” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Detailed data report leading on record highs in race and religious hate crime, with context on the Met recording change, triggering events and community-group reaction.
- Emphasis
- Record levels excluding the Met, event-driven spikes, British Muslim Trust and CST statements.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not give a view from critics of how hate crime is recorded.
- Charged language
- “rising tide of hatred”
- For example
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“Police-recorded hate crime in England and Wales has risen 7% year-on-year, including record highs in both those that were racially and religiously motivated.” — Evening Standard
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Short report leading on the overall 7% rise and highlighting Muslims and Jews as facing the biggest increases.
- Emphasis
- Headline percentages by category, including the falls in other categories.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Leaves out the Met recording change, record-high context, Home Office explanations of spikes and group reactions.
- For example
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“Hate crimes in England and Wales rise by 7% in last year as Home Office stats say Muslims and Jews face biggest increase” — GB News
What every side reports
- Police-recorded hate crime rose 7% to 146,825 in the year to March 2026.
- Race hate crime rose 9% and religious hate crime 13%.
- Offences against Muslims rose 15% and against Jewish people 10%.
- Sexual orientation (-1%), disability (-5%) and transgender (-4%) hate crimes fell.
Home Office organisation
Attributes spikes in offences against Muslims and Jewish people to specific events: disorder, the Iran war and the Heaton Park Synagogue attack.
“which the Home Office said coincided with protests and public disorder” — Evening Standard
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Police-recorded religious and race hate crimes hit record high
Neutral Thorough data-led report with record-high context and reactions from community groups.
Right2 articles
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GB NewsR ·
Neutral Brief factual summary of the headline figures and category changes.
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- 8 Oct 09:45 First GB NewsR Hate crimes in England and Wales rise by 7% in last year as Home Office stats say Muslims and Jews face biggest increase
- 8 Oct 11:04 +1h 18m Evening StandardN Police-recorded religious and race hate crimes hit record high
- 8 Oct 12:21 +2h 36m JNSR Antisemitic hate crimes in England and Wales rise 10%, Jews most targeted per capita
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.