Stalking Rises Nearly Fiftyfold in England and Wales: 3 Figures That Show the Scale
Stalking has moved from a crime many victims may once have struggled to name into one that is now being recorded at unprecedented scale. Police data analysed from the House of Commons library shows more than 135, 000 stalking offences were recorded last year in England and Wales, compared with just under 3, 000 a decade earlier. Experts say the increase reflects both better recognition and the way technology now allows perpetrators to monitor, track and harass victims beyond physical spaces.
Why the rise in stalking matters now
The scale of the increase is striking not only because of the numbers, but because of what they suggest about changing victimisation. Recorded offences rose in every part of England and Wales, with the Metropolitan police logging 11, 798 last year, up from 647 ten years earlier. Greater Manchester police recorded 10, 649, compared with 96 a decade ago. In other words, stalking is no longer appearing as a marginal or hidden pattern; it is showing up across the system in volumes that force a closer look at how authorities identify and respond to it.
There is also a justice-system angle. The Crown Prosecution Service said offences leading to charges increased from 2, 305 in 2020-21 to 6, 790 in 2024-25, the highest on record. That matters because charging decisions reveal how cases are being classified and pursued. The trend suggests that stalking is being recognized more clearly, but it also raises the question of whether the system is keeping pace with the evolving forms the offence now takes online and offline.
What lies beneath the numbers
The clearest explanation for the rise in stalking records is a combination of improved recognition and digital methods of abuse. A CPS spokesperson said that as more of life is lived online, the way stalkers offend is changing. The spokesperson added that even when abuse is digital, the harm is very real. That distinction is important: the offence may be carried out through messages, monitoring or other online behaviour, but the effect on victims can be persistent fear and loss of safety.
Jo Silver, interim CEO at SafeLives, said stalking is often part of domestic abuse, especially after a relationship has ended, and can be a warning sign that risk is escalating. She said technology is making this easier, allowing perpetrators to track, monitor and harass victims in ways that mean abuse does not only exist in physical spaces. Silver also said the rise in recorded offences is likely to reflect a mix of factors, including improved awareness and changes in how these crimes are identified and recorded. That means the headline figure is best read as both a warning and a measure of recognition.
Silver’s analysis points to a deeper problem: stalking is not always an isolated act, but part of a wider pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. If agencies do not treat it that way, early warning signs can be missed. The result is not just more recorded crime, but potentially more cases in which victims have already endured prolonged abuse before action is taken.
Stalking and the changing response from prosecutors
The CPS said last month it launched its first stalking action plan, designed to tackle the evolving nature of the offence in the digital age. The service said it is working with tech and trauma experts to give prosecutors the tools they need to deliver justice for as many victims as possible. That approach reflects a shift in tone: stalking is being treated less as a static category and more as an offence adapting to digital life.
At the same time, the response is not only prosecutorial. The Liberal Democrats are calling for emergency stalking protection notices, similar to those used for domestic abuse, so police can act immediately. Silver said such measures have a role within a wider, joined-up approach that includes independent stalking advocates, domestic abuse services and specialist victim support organisations. Marie Goldman, the party’s women and equalities spokesperson, said stalking causes untold damage and can have a detrimental impact on mental and physical health, leaving victims and loved ones living in constant fear.
Regional and wider implications
The increase across every part of England and Wales suggests this is not a problem confined to one city, one force area or one type of victim. The fact that some of the country’s largest forces recorded especially large rises indicates that the issue is now deeply embedded in policing and prosecution workloads. For victims, the practical implication is that stalking is increasingly likely to be encountered through systems that must judge risk quickly, often while the behaviour is still escalating.
For policymakers, the challenge is broader. If stalking is increasingly digital, then recognition alone will not be enough. The response must match how the offence is being committed, how it intersects with domestic abuse, and how victims experience fear long before a case reaches court. The numbers now make that harder to ignore, but they do not answer the central question: can the system move fast enough to protect people before stalking turns into something even more dangerous?
