Merseyside Police recorded 5,827 hate crimes in the year to March 2026, an average of 16 a day, according to Home Office figures released this week. The total is up from 5,182 a year earlier and 4,986 in the year ending March 2024, and has more than doubled over the last decade, when 2,317 hate crimes were recorded in 2015/16.
Race and religious hate crimes
Almost two thirds of all hate crimes in Merseyside recorded last year were for race hate, 3,666 in total, up from 3,124 in 2024/25 and 1,700 in 2015/16. There were 335 religious hate crimes recorded by Merseyside Police in the year to March 2026, up from 301 the previous year and 69 a decade ago.
Details for hate crimes against specific religions are not available at police force level, but for England and Wales there were 5,132 recorded hate crimes against Muslims, 3,162 against Jews, 624 against Christians, 267 against Sikhs, and 20 against Hindus. Jewish people experienced the highest rate of any religion, with 117 hate crimes for every 10,000 Jewish people in the country. Muslims experienced the next-highest rate at 13 per 10,000 population, followed by Sikhs at five per 100,000, Hindus at two per 100,000, and Christians at 0.2 per 100,000.
Force comparisons
The Metropolitan Police recorded more hate crimes than any other force, with over 22,800 in the capital in the year to March, ahead of Greater Manchester with 11,500, West Midlands with 8,800 and West Yorkshire with 8,100. Greater Manchester experienced the highest rate of hate crime relative to population, with 383 hate crimes for every 100,000 people, compared to 228 per 100,000 across England and Wales as a whole. Merseyside had the next highest ratio at 377 per 100,000, followed by Avon and Somerset with 353, West Yorkshire with 335, South Yorkshire with 305 and the West Midlands with 292.
Police response
Merseyside Police say the increase is at least partially down to historic under reporting of hate crime, and because the force has got better at recording hate crimes, and in that sense an increase in the figures could be seen as encouraging. Superintendent Col Rooney, Hate Crime Lead for Merseyside Police, said: "We take all reports of hate crime extremely seriously. As a police force, it is vitally important for us to know where we have issues with hate crime and how many are being committed. Only then can we do something about it, and we have improved and increased the recording of crimes with a hate element, which in years gone by may have simply been recorded as incidents such as assault or threatening behaviour."
He added: "Hate crime has also historically been underreported, so the fact we have seen increases in reporting of hate crime offences in Merseyside in recent years is in many ways very encouraging. Our new geographical Basic Command Unit (BCU) structure has enabled greater local ownership of hate crime performance and victim care. This has improved governance, strengthened partnerships and ensured that BCU policing teams are better placed to understand the communities they serve, respond to concerns, and take action against offenders."
"I believe this increases the confidence of victims to come forward to police. We welcome the fact that more people are seeing hate crime in all its forms for what it is - a criminal offence that people should face justice for, and are telling us about it. Our officers regularly speak to victims of hate crime and know first hand the impact this type of crime has."
"We proactively engage with those communities in Merseyside who may have been subject to hate crime to identify and reassure anyone who may have been a victim, and I would urge anyone else out there who may have been a victim to get in contact so we can take action. You will be supported every step of the way as sensitively as possible by officers who will take your reports seriously and do everything in their power to bring perpetrators to justice."
"We have hate crime co-ordinators who deal with this type of crime day in day out, so can draw on a wealth of experience and expertise to provide effective and above all sensitive and appropriate support for victims. They also play an important role in educating people on the impact of hate crime, going into schools and speaking to young people, and talking to perpetrators in order to prevent further offending."
"I would like to urge anyone out there who may have been a victim of hate crime to get in contact so we can take action. I would also like to remind people we have a number of third party reporting centres across Merseyside. These include fire stations, citizen advice bureaus and hospitals, which enable people who feel more comfortable discussing their issues with an independent party to come forward. Support networks such as the Anthony Walker Foundation also provide emotional support, practical assistance and information to anyone requesting help."
"If someone doesn’t want to speak to the police, they can get support from the charity Stop Hate UK and they will act as a liaison if required. They can be contacted by calling 0800 138 1625."
