Birmingham is one of the largest and most populous cities in the UK, known for its rich history and culture. As one of the UK’s most visited cities, it can also experience higher crime rates. In this article, we will explore the top 10 most dangerous areas in Birmingham and review the crime rates for each of these areas.
Is Birmingham A Dangerous City?
From the data collected from Confused.com, it shows that Birmingham was voted the 7th safest postcode in the UK.
This statistic is based on information gathered from around 32 different factors. This covers the number of cops in the area, crime rates per 1,000 people, the amount of CCTV cameras in the area, and resident safety.
Birmingham ranks low when it comes to CCTV surveillance, having only around 422 CCTV cameras. Many major cities have much bigger CCTV surveillance in operation. With over 9.3 burglaries per 1000 people in Birmingham, it was also one of the most dangerous offences on the list.
Birmingham for its city size, Birmingham doesn’t deploy as many police officers as you may think. It has over 6000 police officers which compared to other cities, is quite low.
According to Crimrate, last year Birmingham had an overall crime rate of 137 per 1,000 people. This came in 16% higher than West Midlands’ own crime rate of 118 crimes. When compared to the own of the UK, Birmingham is considered as the 386th most dangerous area.
Birmingham’s most common crime is violent and sexual offences crimes. Last year, these types of crimes were reported over 63.688 times. At the same time, the area’s least common crime is bike theft. In 2023, bicycle thefts were committed 966 times.
Due to its population, Birmingham’s crime rates may look high in contrast to other cities in the UK; nevertheless, Birmingham, like any other city, has safe areas and more dangerous areas with higher crime levels.
What Parts Of Birmingham Are Dangerous?
Gathering data from the Crimrate, show the crime rates per ward.
Wards |
Total Crimes |
Crime Rate |
Ladywood |
13,904 |
153 |
Soho & Jewellery Quarter |
5,616 |
141 |
Bordesley & Highgate |
5,499 |
173 |
Stockland Green |
3,374 |
207 |
Glebe Farm & Tile Cross |
3,333 |
163 |
North Edgbaston |
3,048 |
176 |
Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East |
3,028 |
110 |
Erdington |
2,870 |
163 |
Aston |
2,748 |
121 |
Nechells |
2,744 |
81 |
According to Crimerate, Ladywood is Birmingham’s most dangerous ward. Ladywood is located in central Birmingham, so visitors and locals often populate it. Areas near a city’s centre can often attract more crimes due to their busy nature.
What Crimes Happen The Most In Birmingham?
Looking at how big Birmingham is per square meter; it is just the 4th biggest city in the UK but still holds 2nd place in the most populated. There is plenty of crime in Birmingham as records show but we must overview what type of crime is occurring.
There is also the question of what area is dangerous. To get an idea of what makes something dangerous, we need to look at which crimes are likely to cause harm to others. But the findings alter if we only compare the 10 areas mentioned above. So, we have gathered information based on the whole of Birmingham.
Below are the results gathered from Birmingham police. The crimes are stated per 1000 people.
Type of Crime |
Crime Rate (Per 1000 Residents) |
Bicycle Theft |
0.84 |
Burglary |
7.63 |
Criminal Damage and Arson |
9.91 |
Drugs |
3.8 |
Other Crime |
2.01 |
Other Theft |
10.03 |
Possession of Weapons |
2.78 |
Public Order |
9.87 |
Robbery (inc. mugging) |
4.18 |
Shoplifting |
7.72 |
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) |
1.99 |
Vehicle Crime |
12.86 |
Violence and Sexual Offences |
57.9 |
As you can see, violence and sexual offences are way ahead of other crimes making it easily the biggest crime committed in Birmingham with a whopping 57.9 crimes per 1000 people.
Conclusion
Birmingham has a bad reputation for crime. But just like any other city, there will be more dangerous areas than others.
Businesses understandably want to hire security guards to protect themselves and their workers from becoming victims of crime. Hiring a security agency is one way to reduce your risk of being targeted by criminals.
A security business may install CCTV cameras to monitor the property or hire security guards to deter potential criminals. Security firms may also evaluate your current security procedures and advise you on how to make your organisation safer.
To stay up to date with all the latest Birmingham news, check more of our Birmingham articles, where you can find articles like; ‘5 Tips On How To Stay Safe in Birmingham or ‘Birmingham’s Crime Rates: Explained‘
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