The Police Service of Northern Ireland recorded 2,260 race hate incidents and crimes in 2025, from January 1 to December 31. This marked the highest annual total since records started in 2004 and exceeded the previous year's figure by 488.

Among the incidents, 1,430 qualified as race hate crimes. Belfast City district accounted for two in five of all cases. Police noted 347 race hate incidents during unrest in June 2025.

Race hate incident levels stayed high from May through December 2025. That span included eight of the ten highest monthly totals on record.

Recent examples involved racist graffiti at a Belfast apartment block and a letter carrying sectarian and Islamophobic material circulated on social media.

PSNI Chief Inspector Paddy Mullan said police work to build victim confidence in reporting. He added that senior officers review every hate crime daily for thorough probes and victim aid. Hate crime ranks as a key policing focus.

Paula Bradshaw, Alliance MLA and chair of Stormont's all-party group on ethnic minority communities, pointed to social media and anti-immigration views as factors heightening community strains.