Police in England and Wales have reported a significant increase in religious hate crimes, up by 25% over the past year. This surge has been attributed to a rise in offences against Jewish and Muslim communities since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to official figures released by the Home Office.
Data from the Home Office revealed that hate crimes targeted at Jewish individuals more than doubled, with incidents against Muslims also seeing a 13% increase compared to the previous year. In total, there were 10,484 religious hate crime offences recorded by the police in the year leading up to March, marking a 25% rise from the 8,370 incidents reported in the preceding year. This is the highest annual count of such offences since the inception of hate crime data collection in March 2012.
The Home Office stated that the 25% increase was primarily driven by a surge in hate crimes towards Jewish and Muslim communities, correlating with the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Over the 12-month period ending in March 2024, there were 3,282 religious hate crimes directed at Jewish individuals, more than double the 1,543 incidents recorded in the previous year. Offences against Jewish people accounted for one-third (33%) of all religious hate crimes in the past year, compared to one-fifth in the previous year.
Similarly, there were 3,866 religious hate crimes targeted at Muslims in the latest reporting period, representing a 13% increase from the previous year’s figure of 3,432 incidents. These crimes against Muslims comprised almost two-fifths (38%) of all religious hate crimes during that timeframe. The spike in offences was particularly notable following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, with the most common hate crimes being public fear, alarm, or distress offences.
Community organisations reported record-high levels of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents up to the end of September. The Community Security Trust recorded 5,583 incidents across the UK between October 7, 2023, and September 30, three times higher than the previous 12-month period. Tell Mama documented 4,971 incidents of anti-Muslim hate and discrimination during the same period, marking the highest total in over a decade.
Contrastingly, other types of police-recorded hate crimes in England and Wales saw declines. Hate crimes against individuals based on their sexual orientation dropped by 8% to 22,839, while disability-related hate crimes decreased by 18% to 11,719. Similarly, hate crimes targeted at transgender individuals were down by 2% to 4,780. Despite these reductions, race hate crimes remained the most prevalent category, accounting for 98,799 offences in the year leading up to March, a 5% decrease from the previous year.
The Home Office noted that race hate crime offences peaked at 109,843 incidents in the year ending March 2022 and have since seen a 10% decline. While the overall decrease in hate crimes is encouraging, the significant rise in religious hate crimes, particularly against Jewish and Muslim communities, highlights the ongoing challenges faced in combating discrimination and promoting inclusivity in society.