Religious hate crime incidents recorded by police in England and Wales have surged by 25% over the past year, with a significant rise in offences targeting Jewish and Muslim communities
following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to official figures.
The Home Office reported a notable increase in hate crimes against Jewish people, which more than doubled, while crimes targeting Muslims rose by 13% compared to the previous year.
In the year to March 2024, police recorded 10,484 religious hate crime offences, up from 8,370 in the previous 12-month period, marking the highest annual total since records began in 2012.
The report highlighted that the increase was primarily driven by a spike in hate crimes against Jews, with 3,282 offences recorded—up from 1,543 the previous year. Incidents against Muslims also rose, with 3,866 offences reported, up from 3,432 the year before.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the rise as “appalling” and described it as a “stain on our society,” calling for strong police action against those who perpetrate these crimes. Jewish people accounted for 33% of all religious hate crimes, up from 20% the previous year, while Muslims made up 37% of the total. Photo by Felton Davis, Wikimedia commons.