15% increase in hate crimes against Hindus in UK, home office data shows

The UK Home Office has reported a 15% increase in religiously-motivated hate crimes targeting Hindus in England and Wales, according to data from March 2025 to March 2026. Police recorded a total of 146,825 hate crimes in the same period, with religious hate crimes rising by 13%.

Hate crimes targeting Muslims saw a 15% increase, while those against Jews, Sikhs, and Christians experienced 10%, 3%, and 24% increases, respectively. Public fear, alarm, or distress offenses were the most frequently reported hate crimes against Muslims and Jews.

Anil Bhanot, managing director of the Hindu Council UK, noted that Hindus are experiencing a rise in serious physical assaults but are often hesitant to report such incidents due to a lack of faith in the authorities to take action. He highlighted that Hindu temples do not receive dedicated funding for security, unlike synagogues and mosques which have protection schemes.

The advocacy group INSIGHT UK pointed out that the Home Office's statistical commentary only discussed Jews and Muslims, omitting any mention of Hindus, who constitute the third-largest religious group in the UK. A spokesperson for the group revealed that their anti-Hindu hate survey, which gathered 2,688 responses, found that every respondent had experienced or witnessed anti-Hindu hate, ranging from physical violence and online harassment to temple vandalism and misrepresentation of Hinduism in media and education.