England's murder hotspots mapped: Wolverhampton tops per-capita rate

England and Wales recorded 431 murders in the year to March 2026, the lowest total since 2012. Wolverhampton leads on per-capita killings at 11.02 per 100,000 residents.

Wolverhampton records highest murder rate per capita in England

England and Wales saw 431 murders in the year ending March 2026, a 4% fall on the previous year and the lowest total since at least 2012, according to the Daily Express, which published an exclusive analysis of police data mapping the country's killing hotspots.

Five years of murder data show that large metropolitan areas record the highest absolute number of killings. When adjusted for population size, however, smaller cities and towns rise to the top of the per-capita rankings.

Wolverhampton logged 31 murders over the past five years. Its comparatively modest population pushes its rate to 11.02 killings per 100,000 residents — the highest in the country outside Westminster. The central London borough records 11.43 per 100,000, but analysts note that figure is distorted by an exceptionally large tourist population against a small number of permanent residents.

Birmingham recorded 86 murders across the same five-year window, including 19 in the last year alone, making it the single highest-volume killing location among English cities.

Home Office homicide statistics — which cover murder, manslaughter and infanticide — reveal a stark gender divide among victims. Three-quarters of all homicide victims are male. Yet the circumstances differ sharply by sex.

In the year ending March 2025, the most recent period for which a full breakdown is available, two in five female victims were suspected to have been killed by a current or former partner, representing 40% of cases. Where a suspect was identified, intimate partners accounted for the vast majority.

Among male victims the picture is different: only 4% were suspected to have been killed by a partner or ex-partner. Men were most commonly killed by a friend or acquaintance (20%) or a stranger (18%).

Across all homicide cases regardless of gender, the most frequently recorded motive was a quarrel, an act of revenge, or a sudden loss of temper. The Daily Express notes that although the homicide category includes manslaughter and infanticide, the overwhelming majority of cases are classified as murder.

Source: Daily Express