Terrifying map shows the UK areas with the most sex offenders – check your area

There are more registered sex offenders living in England and Wales than ever before, with the number almost doubling in just 13 years.

There were 70,052 registered sex offenders living in the country’s police force areas at the end of March 2024.

This is the equivalent of one for every 763 people aged 10 and over.

Compared to March 2023, the number of sex offenders in England and Wales has risen by 2.5%, from 68,357, and is now the highest on record.

It has also risen by 85% over the past 13 years, since the police force level figures were first published at the end of 2010/11.
Back then, there were 36,921 registered sex offenders living here.

The figures released by the Ministry of Justice cover offenders managed by Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) aimed at preventing further offences.

Sex offenders are required to notify the police of certain details, with further notification required if any of those details change (sometimes referred to as ‘being on the sex offenders register’).

Some parts of the country have a higher proportion of sex offenders living there than elsewhere.

County Durham had a total of 1,123 sex offenders living in its police force area.

That works out as 196 for every 100,000 people, or the equivalent of one for every 510 people aged 10 or above.

That’s the highest concentration of any police force area in the country.

Gwent had a total of 991, which works out as one for every 532 people aged over 10.

Teesside has one for every 562 people aged over 10, while Lancashire has one for every 562 people.

By contrast, Hertfordshire has one sex offender for every 1,266 people aged over 10 living in the area – the lowest ratio in the country.

Surrey has the next lowest ratio, with one for every 1,266 people. London has one for every 1,099 people, while Thames Valley has one for every 1,064.

Area: Category 1 offenders per 100,000 population – 2023/24)

1. County Durham: 196
2. Gwent: 188
3. Teesside: 178
4. Lancashire: 178
5. North Wales: 175
6. Greater Manchester: 173
7. Humberside: 172
8. West Yorkshire: 165
9. Merseyside: 158
10. Northumbria: 155
11. South Wales: 155
12. Norfolk: 148
13. South Yorkshire: 147
14. Cheshire: 147
15. Cumbria: 145
16. West Midlands: 144
17. Suffolk: 144
18. Derbyshire: 140
19. Staffordshire: 138
20. Dyfed-Powys: 138
21. Sussex: 137
22. Nottinghamshire: 136
23. Devon and Cornwall: 134
24. Northamptonshire: 132
25. Lincolnshire: 131
26. West Mercia: 130
27. Hampshire: 130
28. North Yorkshire: 125
29. Cambridgeshire: 124
30. Dorset: 123
31. Gloucestershire: 123
32. Warwickshire: 121
33. Wiltshire: 119
34. Essex: 119
35. Kent: 118
36. Bedfordshire: 118
37. Avon and Somerset: 115
38. Leicestershire: 114
39. Thames Valley: 94
40. London: 91
41. Surrey: 79
42. Hertfordshire: 79