The primary conclusion of the British government’s most recent hate crime data for England and Wales (2021–2022) was a 26% rise in hate crimes reported to the police in the year ending March 2022 compared to the previous year.It is important to notice the qualification that it is unclear if this constitutes a “genuine uptick,” given that crime reporting to the police has improved significantly and that victims may perhaps feel more comfortable doing so.
These figures shed important light on the trends and most prevalent types of hostility in England and Wales directed at individuals based on specific personal characteristics (race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and transgender identity).
However, in order to have a complete picture, it is necessary to place these figures on hate crimes in the context of broader trends in prejudice and hostility that are reflected in media narratives, social media usage, and political discourse.
Race (109,843), sexual orientation (26,152), disability (14,242), religion (8,730), and transgender identity and expression were the tracked strands of hate crime out of a total of 155,841 offences reported by the police (4,355).
