Stop and searches: record highs and lows

The extremes of stop and searches as published by Home Office, across the 24 periods held here (Year ending March 2002 to Year ending March 2025). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

The latest figure, 528,582 in Year ending March 2025, is the lowest since Year ending March 2019, when it was 385,154 — every period between was higher. The rule: a period counts as beaten only when its figure is strictly above the latest, and the claim is only made when it reaches back at least five years.

Highest published

1,519,561Year ending March 2009

Lowest published

282,380Year ending March 2018

The full series

Stop and searches: Year ending March 2002 to Year ending March 2025LabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour0500k1m1.5m20052010201520202025Before: Excludes British Transport Police. After: Includes British Transport Police, from 2009/10.coverage changeYear ending March 2002: 770,100 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2003: 971,800 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2004: 823,600 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2005: 940,100 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2006: 974,998 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2007: 1,050,438 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2008: 1,233,208 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2009: 1,519,561 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2010: 1,405,985 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2011: 1,303,540 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2012: 1,189,882 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2013: 1,017,542 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2014: 904,038 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2015: 541,144 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2016: 383,595 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2017: 304,132 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2018: 282,380 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2019: 385,154 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2020: 586,645 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2021: 714,914 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2022: 530,970 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2023: 547,000 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2024: 536,217 searches · published 6 November 2025Year ending March 2025: 528,582 searches · published 6 November 2025

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestDashed line: change in coverage or methodShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

What a record here is, and is not

A record is the extreme of the periods this site holds for the current series, at each period’s newest published release. Earlier series measured under different methods are not compared against it. Money is in cash terms: a record set years ago stands against the money of its own year.