Racially and religiously motivated offences have reached record highs in the UK, according to new Home Office figures. The data reveals that police recorded 146,825 hate crimes in the year ending March 2026, marking a 7% increase from the previous year. Notably, offences targeting Muslims saw the most significant rise, increasing by 15% from 4,479 to 5,132, while antisemitic hate crimes rose by 10%, from 2,874 to 3,162.
Key Statistics
- Total hate crimes recorded: 146,825
- Increase in hate crimes: 7% from the previous year
- Anti-Muslim offences: 5,132 (up 15%)
- Antisemitic hate crimes: 3,162 (up 10%)
The figures exclude data from the Metropolitan Police due to a change in their crime recording system. The number of religious hate crime offences recorded in England and Wales for the 12 months leading to March was 8,214, the highest annual total since records began in 2012.
Context of Rising Hate Crimes
The Home Office noted sharp increases in anti-Muslim offences in September 2025, coinciding with protests and public disorder, and again in March following the outbreak of war between the US and Iran. Anti-Muslim hate crimes reached a record 3,660 offences, the highest annual total since this data was first collected in 2018.
The British Muslim Trust (BMT), appointed by the government in July 2025 to monitor anti-Muslim hostility, reported a concerning shift from hate aimed at mosques to targeting Muslims directly. Between 21 July 2025 and 30 July 2026, BMT recorded 78 incidents involving 64 mosques across the UK and the Channel Islands, averaging an incident every five days.
