UK Immigration
& Crime

England & Wales • 2015–2025

This page presents official England & Wales data on imprisonment and violent crime by nationality and place of birth. It compares share-based figures with population-adjusted rates, while remaining neutral, transparent and evidence-first.

2025 Data

Foreign nationals

12.4%

of the prison population

Non-UK nationals

12%

of the adult population

Foreign-born

18%

of the UK population

Violent crime rate

Lower

after population adjustment

SECTION 1

Prison population and population share

Share of prison population vs share of adult population

SECTION 2

Violent crime rates

Convictions and imprisonment per 100,000 adults

Long-term Trends (2015–2025)

SECTION 3

Conclusion

Official England & Wales statistics show that non-UK nationals are not clearly overrepresented in violent crime once population size is taken into account. The charts compare prison population share, adult population share, and rates per 100,000 adults to make the relationship more transparent and avoid misleading raw-share comparisons.

SECTION 4

Sources & Caveats

Primary Sources



Notes & Caveats

  • • Prison population and conviction data record nationality (citizenship), not country of birth.
  • • Many foreign-born individuals are naturalised British citizens and are counted in the UK national category.
  • • Rate comparisons use convictions and imprisonment per 100,000 adults to adjust for group size.
  • • Comparisons do not account for age, sex, offence type, socioeconomic status or migration route.
  • • The data shown are for England & Wales only.
  • • This analysis does not imply that migration status causes violent crime.