Prosecutions and convictions

Published

Last updated 8 August 2023 - see all updates

1. Main facts and figures

  • since 2009, the conviction ratio (the percentage of defendants convicted out of all those prosecuted) for indictable-only or 'either way' offences has increased for all ethnic groups

  • in 2017, the conviction ratios for Black and Mixed ethnic groups were lowest at 78.7% and 79%

  • in 2017, the conviction ratio was highest for defendants in the White ethnic group, at 85.3%

  • from 2009 to 2017, the conviction ratio (the percentage of defendants convicted out of all those prosecuted) increased for all ethnic groups, from 79.8% in 2009 to 83.7% in 2017

  • however, the total number of prosecutions and convictions where ethnicity was known has decreased over the same period – prosecutions fell from 362,000 in 2009 to 211,000 in 2017 (around 42% fewer), while convictions fell from 281,000 in 2009 to 177,000 in 2017 (around 37% fewer)

  • in 2017, the conviction ratio for offenders from the Other (including Chinese) group was 81.1% - for Asian offenders it was 80.3% in 2017 and the conviction ratios for the Black and Mixed ethnic groups were 78.8% and 79% respectively

  • in 2017, 93% of White defendants prosecuted for drug offences were convicted, compared with 86.6% of defendants from the Mixed ethnic group and 85.5% of those from the Other (including Chinese) group. Ratios for the Other (including Chinese) group are based on small numbers so should be treated with caution

  • in the same year, 83.7% of Asian defendants prosecuted for possession of weapons offences were convicted, compared with 80% of defendants from the Mixed ethnic group and 78.2% of those from the Other (including Chinese) group. Ratios for the Other (including Chinese) group are based on small numbers so should be treated with caution

2. Things you need to know

What the data measures

The data shows the ‘conviction ratio’ for defendants from different ethnic groups.

A defendant is someone who has been accused of committing a crime. The conviction ratio is the number of defendants found guilty of a crime in court, as a percentage of all defendants who were prosecuted.

The data includes:

  • ‘indictable-only’ offences, such as murder or rape, which can only be heard in a Crown Court
  • ‘triable either way’ offences, such as burglary or drugs offences, which can be heard in magistrates’ court or Crown Courts

Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal place.

You can read more about criminal courts.

Not included in the data

The data does not include ‘summary’ offences, such as motoring offences and minor criminal damage.

The ethnic groups used in the data

The conviction ratio is shown for 5 ethnic groups based on the 2001 Census categories:

  • Asian
  • Black
  • Mixed
  • White
  • Other

The ethnicity wasn’t known for about 1 in 5 offenders. Those offenders are not included in this data.

Methodology

Read the detailed methodology document (PDF opens in a new window or tab) for the data.

If someone was found guilty of more than one offence, the data includes the offence they were given the heaviest penalty for.

Prosecutions are counted in the year that the case is completed at magistrates' courts, where nearly all criminal cases start.

Convictions are counted in the year the case is completed, which can be in either a magistrates' court or Crown Court.

If a prosecution begins in a magistrates’ court and moves to the Crown Court:

  • the prosecution and conviction may fall in different years
  • defendants may be convicted for a different offence to the one they were originally prosecuted for

3. By ethnicity of defendant over time

Number of prosecutions and convictions, and conviction ratio, by ethnicity of defendant over time
Asian Black Mixed White Other including Chinese
Year Asian % Asian Prosecutions at MC Asian Convictions and MC and CC Black % Black Prosecutions at MC Black Convictions and MC and CC Mixed % Mixed Prosecutions at MC Mixed Convictions and MC and CC White % White Prosecutions at MC White Convictions and MC and CC Other inc Chinese % Other inc Chinese Prosecutions at MC Other inc Chinese Convictions and MC and CC
2009 71.8 19,171 13,759 72.7 32,453 23,581 71.1 11,592 8,237 78.7 294,080 231,485 74.0 5,134 3,799
2010 76.4 20,557 15,714 76.0 34,725 26,403 75.3 12,817 9,645 81.3 317,998 258,471 81.9 5,235 4,288
2011 78.1 20,164 15,750 78.6 33,826 26,571 77.4 12,581 9,742 82.8 305,672 253,220 81.1 4,896 3,969
2012 78.3 17,745 13,895 79.1 29,153 23,050 78.4 10,839 8,497 84.0 268,301 225,426 82.8 4,193 3,470
2013 73.4 18,005 13,215 76.1 28,728 21,858 75.7 10,542 7,979 81.5 260,857 212,567 82.0 4,156 3,407
2014 74.3 16,736 12,437 76.7 27,045 20,755 75.8 9,630 7,299 81.6 247,209 201,618 79.8 3,627 2,895
2015 77.6 15,418 11,967 79.6 24,993 19,893 77.4 9,196 7,121 84.3 217,166 183,068 84.4 3,395 2,867
2016 80.5 14,712 11,842 80.6 24,997 20,145 81.2 7,613 6,182 86.0 185,340 159,398 81.3 3,076 2,501
2017 80.3 13,244 10,635 78.7 23,374 18,384 79.0 6,831 5,398 85.3 165,037 140,701 81.1 2,751 2,230

Download table data for ‘By ethnicity of defendant over time’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity of defendant over time’ (CSV)

4. By ethnicity of defendant and offence

Conviction ratio and number of convictions by ethnicity and offence group
Asian Black Mixed White Other including Chinese
Offence Group Asian % Asian Convictions Black % Black Convictions Mixed % Mixed Convictions White % White Convictions Other inc Chinese % Other inc Chinese Convictions
Criminal damage and arson 49.6 63 62.5 80 62.7 32 76.1 1,407 68.2 15
Drug offences 90.1 2,988 87.7 6,245 86.8 1,453 93.0 19,828 85.5 464
Fraud Offences 86.2 393 85.8 574 92.4 110 90.8 3,505 86.7 98
Miscellaneous crimes against society 81.2 1,475 75.0 1,763 73.5 533 77.9 15,853 87.7 327
Possession of weapons 83.7 748 80.5 2,022 80.0 479 82.5 7,273 78.2 147
Public order offences 94.7 757 87.9 1,245 92.4 318 97.4 11,269 87.3 124
Robbery 65.0 230 59.8 586 57.3 185 72.4 2,228 72.9 43
Sexual offences 52.2 436 52.5 442 54.9 95 64.8 4,455 60.9 112
Theft Offences 87.2 2,156 82.0 3,626 84.9 1,513 89.3 55,577 86.8 659
Violence against the person 63.9 1,389 61.4 1,801 65.3 680 76.9 19,306 65.5 241

Download table data for ‘By ethnicity of defendant and offence’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity of defendant and offence’ (CSV)

5. Data sources

Source

Type of data

Administrative data

Type of statistic

Official statistics

Publisher

Ministry of Justice

Publication frequency

Quarterly

Purpose of data source

The data is used by the government to develop, monitor and evaluate criminal justice policy. It reports on activity in the criminal justice system for England and Wales, giving information for the latest year and longer-term trends.

6. Download the data

Prosecutions and convictions - Spreadsheet (csv) 391 KB

This file contains the following: ethnicity, year, sex, age group, offence group, police force area, value, numerator, denominator