Police-recorded racial and religious hate crimes in England and Wales reach a record high, according to Home Office figures. For the year ending March 2026, 146,825 hate crimes are recorded, up 7% from the previous year, representing the highest total reported in the data.
Outlets highlight that offences targeting specific religious groups are rising. Hate crimes targeting Muslims increase the most over the 12 months to March, climbing 15% from 4,479 to 5,132. Antisemitic hate crimes also rise, increasing 10% from 2,874 to 3,162. The reporting notes that severity and impact are also concerns for campaign groups and partners involved in tackling Islamophobia, though the Home Office data cited focuses on police-recorded offence volumes.
While both outlets draw attention to the scale of the increase, the coverage differs in emphasis: one focuses on the record-high national figures, while the other foregrounds alarm about the trend and uses stronger language about urgency.
