Is London crime-ridden? The rest of Britain thinks so

A new report suggests that London is widely perceived as a crime-ridden city by the rest of the United Kingdom, despite official statistics showing a decline in incidents. King's College London conducted a poll of the wider population and found that people tend to overestimate crime in the UK capital. London has garnered a reputation for dangerous streets, largely due to thefts of mobile phones, which has tarnished its image as a safe place to visit and work.

This perception has been exacerbated by Donald Trump's feud with London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, who made claims about the city's lack of law and order. Trump suggested that police in certain areas of the capital were "afraid to go" due to the absence of law and order. Khan has disputed these claims, pointing to crime statistics that indicate London's murder rate is lower than that of comparable European cities and well below that of some US cities.

Additionally, the Metropolitan Police has increased its efforts against street crime, including incidents involving robbers using e-bikes.

The report, titled "London has fallen? Misperceptions of crime, race, religion, and life in the UK capital," reveals that many individuals in the UK may share Trump's perception of the city. According to the polling conducted by YouGov, 62% of respondents believed that crime in London had increased between 2019 and 2025, while actual crime rates fell by 1.4%.

Much of London's image is influenced by videos shared on social media, with half of the public believing that the city has the highest violent crime rate among UK regions, despite having the lowest rate. People also have an inflated sense of the likelihood of crime in London, estimating that 40% of Londoners were victims of crime in a single year, more than three times the actual rate of 12.2%.

Londoners themselves have a different perspective on their city, particularly regarding its ethnic composition. The UK public believes that Muslims make up 35% of London's population, while the actual figure is 15%. This belief becomes even more pronounced among supporters of the right-wing populist Reform UK party, who estimate it at 50%.

Additionally, a third of the UK public believes that there are areas in London where Sharia law dominates, with non-Muslims barred from entering. In reality, only 18% of the UK public thinks such areas exist, while 66% of Londoners reject this idea.

Despite these misconceptions, London's reputation in the UK stands in stark contrast to its top position in the World's Best Cities Index 2025, compiled by consultancy Resonance. Sadiq Khan addressed the report's findings, emphasizing the "gulf between the real London and the false idea of London that exists inside some people's heads."

He acknowledged that London is not perfect and has its challenges, but criticized efforts to tarnish its reputation through disinformation online. Khan wrote in The Times that London has long been a work in progress, deserving respect for its progress while rejecting attempts to defame its image.