Racial and religious hate crimes at record high in England and Wales, data shows

Offences targeting Muslims increased most in 12 months to March – up 15% – while antisemitic hate crimes rose by 10% UK politics live – latest updates Racially and religiously motivated offences have reached record highs in the UK as the government’s main Islamophobia partner says attacks on mosques are increasing in severity.

Home Office figures show police recorded 146,825 hate crimes in the year ending March 2026 – a rise of 7% in the past year.

Offences targeting Muslims increased the most – up 15%, from 4,479 to 5,132, while antisemitic hate crimes rose by 10%, from 2,874 to 3,162.

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