59 CCTV Statistics

by

These cctv figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.

Key CCTV Statistics

The main findings are:

  • At 31 December 2011, the UK had 33,263 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).
  • At 31 December 2011, London had 9,127 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).
  • 1 local authority reported using no surveillance-camera system (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).
  • Housing accounted for 16,901 cameras (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).
  • Across 76 CCTV evaluations, CCTV was associated with a statistically significant 14% reduction in overall crime odds versus controls (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).
  • The meta-analysis included 34 evaluations in the United Kingdom (1978-2017 literature coverage; United Kingdom evaluations).
  • City or town centres accounted for 33 evaluations (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).
  • At 31 December 2012, the UK had 37,048 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).
  • At 31 December 2012, London had 10,768 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).
  • 0 local authorities reported using facial-recognition technology in their surveillance-camera systems (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).
  • Town centres accounted for 14,702 cameras (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).
  • Across 22 evaluations, CCTV was associated with a statistically significant 16% reduction in property-offense odds (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).
  • The meta-analysis included 26 evaluations in the United States (1978-2017 literature coverage; United States evaluations).
  • Residential areas accounted for 16 evaluations (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).
  • At 31 December 2013, the UK had 41,782 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

Contents

UK CCTV licensing scale over time

  • At 31 December 2011, the UK had 33,263 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2012, the UK had 37,048 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2013, the UK had 41,782 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2014, the UK had 45,533 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2015, the UK had 45,887 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2016, the UK had 44,341 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2017, the UK had 45,744 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2018, the UK had 47,548 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2019, the UK had 50,442 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2020, the UK had 52,355 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2021, the UK had 55,416 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2022, the UK had 56,702 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2023, the UK had 58,857 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2024, the UK had 60,728 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2025, the UK had 65,553 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (United Kingdom).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)

London CCTV licensing scale over time

  • At 31 December 2011, London had 9,127 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2012, London had 10,768 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2013, London had 12,664 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2014, London had 13,773 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2015, London had 13,721 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2016, London had 12,857 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2017, London had 13,287 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2018, London had 14,116 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2019, London had 15,366 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2020, London had 16,558 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2021, London had 18,216 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2022, London had 19,119 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2023, London had 19,997 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2024, London had 20,598 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)
* At 31 December 2025, London had 22,542 active public-space-surveillance (CCTV) licences (London travel-to-work area).

(Active public space surveillance (CCTV)…)

Local-authority CCTV deployment and system mix

  • 1 local authority reported using no surveillance-camera system (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* 0 local authorities reported using facial-recognition technology in their surveillance-camera systems (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* The survey reported more than 80,000 cameras across approximately 6,000 systems (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* Vehicle-based systems numbered 1,240 (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* Municipal-building systems numbered 931 (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* Housing systems numbered 796 (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* Town-centre systems numbered 370 (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* Self-assessment-tool completion outside main town-centre systems ranged from 26% to 58% (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* Nearly 50% of 162 answering authorities needed to improve or review systems before certification (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)

COVID-era survey; about 50% response rate; not independently audited or verified.

Local-authority camera counts by setting

  • Housing accounted for 16,901 cameras (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* Town centres accounted for 14,702 cameras (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* Municipal buildings accounted for 12,051 cameras (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)
* Vehicles accounted for 8,842 cameras (2020 survey; England and Wales local authorities responding to the 2020 survey).

(SCC Annual Report 2020-21)

COVID-era survey; about 50% response rate; not independently audited or verified.

CCTV crime outcomes across the evidence base

  • Across 76 CCTV evaluations, CCTV was associated with a statistically significant 14% reduction in overall crime odds versus controls (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* Across 22 evaluations, CCTV was associated with a statistically significant 16% reduction in property-offense odds (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* Across 23 evaluations, CCTV was associated with a statistically significant 16% reduction in vehicle-crime odds (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)

Pooled heterogeneous meta-analysis association.

Pooled result; definitions and settings varied.

Pooled result; contexts varied.

Where CCTV evaluations have been conducted

  • The meta-analysis included 34 evaluations in the United Kingdom (1978-2017 literature coverage; United Kingdom evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* The meta-analysis included 26 evaluations in the United States (1978-2017 literature coverage; United States evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* The meta-analysis included 6 evaluations in Canada (1978-2017 literature coverage; Canada evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* The meta-analysis included 3 evaluations in South Korea (1978-2017 literature coverage; South Korea evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* The meta-analysis included 4 evaluations in Sweden (1978-2017 literature coverage; Sweden evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* The meta-analysis covered 76 evaluations in total (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)

Evidence-base count, not a CCTV-system census.

Setting-specific CCTV crime outcomes

  • City or town centres accounted for 33 evaluations (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* Residential areas accounted for 16 evaluations (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* Housing complexes accounted for 10 evaluations (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* Car parks accounted for 8 evaluations (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* Public transport systems accounted for 4 evaluations (1978-2017 literature coverage; International CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* CCTV in car parks was associated with a statistically significant 37% reduction in crime versus controls (1978-2017 literature coverage; Car-park CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)
* CCTV in residential areas was associated with a statistically significant 12% reduction in crime versus controls (1978-2017 literature coverage; Residential CCTV evaluations).

(Practice Profile: Closed Circuit Television…)

Setting count, not all sites.

Pooled subgroup result.

Pooled subgroup result; definitions varied.

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