A new analysis has identified the most dangerous towns and cities across the Midlands, highlighting areas where serious offences like stabbings, robberies, and sexual assaults are most prevalent.
How the 'Crime Severity' Rankings Work
The list, published on December 21, 2025, uses 'crime severity scores' to rank areas. This method gives greater weight to the most serious types of criminal activity, such as murder and rape, rather than focusing on high volumes of petty crime. This creates a clearer picture of where the most severe offending occurs.
Birmingham Tops Regional List as National Concern
Birmingham emerges as the most dangerous area in the Midlands and a significant national concern. It holds the unenviable position of 6th place on the national list out of over 300 locations, with a crime severity score of 27.3. This is substantially higher than the England and Wales national average of 16.3.
The city's ranking follows a year marked by numerous stabbings and violent attacks. Birmingham is the only Midlands location to feature within the top 18 most dangerous places in the country, indicating that overall regional violent crime levels are lower than in many other parts of Britain.
Other Midlands Areas on the List
Beyond Birmingham, several other key urban centres in the region feature prominently on the list. Nottingham appears in 18th place nationally. The subsequent most violent areas in the Midlands, according to the data, are Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester, and Wolverhampton.
The full ranking for key Midlands areas is as follows:
- Birmingham - 6th
- Nottingham - 19th
- Stoke-on-Trent - 28th
- Leicester - 30th
- Wolverhampton - 31st
- Coventry - 35th
- Derby - 39th
- Sandwell - 44th
- Walsall - 69th
On a national scale, the data reveals that Blackpool suffers the most severe crime levels outside of London. The seaside resort recorded the highest rates of violent crimes and sexual offences of any council area in the country, surpassing even central London boroughs.
