Prosecutions: record highs and lows

The extremes of prosecutions as published by Ministry of Justice, across the 11 periods held here (Year ending March 2016 to Year ending March 2026). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

The latest figure, 1,360,615 in Year ending March 2026, is the highest since Year ending March 2017, when it was 1,442,793 — every period between was lower. The rule: a period counts as beaten only when its figure is strictly below the latest, and the claim is only made when it reaches back at least five years.

Highest published

1,493,801Year ending March 2016

Lowest published

877,831Year ending March 2021

The full series

Prosecutions: Year ending March 2016 to Year ending March 2026ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabour0500k1m201620182020202220242026Before: Figures as originally processed. After: Figures reprocessed ahead of the 2023 Q2 edition.methodology changeYear ending March 2016: 1,493,801 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2017: 1,442,793 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2018: 1,353,888 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2019: 1,345,708 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2020: 1,318,738 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2021: 877,831 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2022: 1,115,215 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2023: 1,188,455 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2024: 1,271,059 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2025: 1,344,552 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2026: 1,360,615 defendants · published 30 July 2026

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.