Crime in Blaenau Gwent: statistics, rates and trends
10,078 crimes were recorded in Blaenau Gwent in the 12 months to August 2026, 148.5 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Blaenau Gwent at a glance
- Crime trends in Blaenau Gwent
- Types of crime in Blaenau Gwent
- Home Office recorded crime in Blaenau Gwent
- Blaenau Gwent compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Blaenau Gwent
- Streets with the most crime in Blaenau Gwent
- What happened after crimes were reported in Blaenau Gwent
- Demographics of Blaenau Gwent
- Questions about crime in Blaenau Gwent
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,494), anti-social behaviour (2,095) and criminal damage and arson (1,197) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 14th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Blaenau Gwent | Wales | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 10,078 | 306,958 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 148.5 | 96.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 67,873 | 3,186,581 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Blaenau Gwent of any year here (10,078 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 34%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 10,078 | 148.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 9,786 | 144.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 9,459 | 139.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 8,346 | 123.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 8,047 | 118.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 7,977 | 117.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 8,522 | 125.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 7,210 | 106.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,526 | 110.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 938 |
| July 2026 | 1,019 |
| June 2026 | 883 |
| May 2026 | 896 |
| April 2026 | 888 |
| March 2026 | 865 |
| February 2026 | 805 |
| January 2026 | 793 |
| December 2025 | 723 |
| November 2025 | 753 |
| October 2025 | 797 |
| September 2025 | 718 |
Compared with England and Wales, Blaenau Gwent recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (2.6 times the national rate), public order (2.3 times the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (2.0 times the national rate), and notably less robbery (53% below) and shoplifting (47% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 379 to 534 and burglary rose from 274 to 340, while shoplifting fell from 445 to 304.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,494 | 51.5 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,095 | 30.9 | 15.4 | +11% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,197 | 17.6 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Public order | 1,056 | 15.6 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Vehicle crime | 534 | 7.9 | 5.0 | +41% |
| Other theft | 462 | 6.8 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Burglary | 340 | 5.0 | 3.6 | +24% |
| Shoplifting | 304 | 4.5 | 8.5 | -32% |
| Other crime | 270 | 4.0 | 2.1 | +17% |
| Drugs | 161 | 2.4 | 3.3 | -5% |
| Possession of weapons | 97 | 1.4 | 1.0 | +13% |
| Robbery | 43 | 0.6 | 1.4 | +19% |
| Bicycle theft | 16 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 9 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7,772 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Blaenau Gwent in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 114.5 per 1,000 residents, higher than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was down 2% on the year ending March 2025 (7,963), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Blaenau Gwent had the 20th highest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 302 districts with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Offences recorded in Blaenau Gwent, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was stalking and harassment, with 1,188 offences (15% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for arson (7.1 times the national rate), public order offences (2.2 times the national rate) and criminal damage (2.1 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for robbery of personal property (0.39 times), robbery of business property (0.62 times) and shoplifting (0.65 times).
The largest rises on the year were in arson (+61%) and other sexual offences (+36%). The largest falls were in trafficking of drugs (−35%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stalking and harassment | 1,188 | 17.5 | 10.1 | 1.74 | −9% |
| Violence without injury | 1,055 | 15.5 | 13.2 | 1.18 | −8% |
| Public order offences | 1,023 | 15.1 | 7.0 | 2.17 | −4% |
| Criminal damage | 976 | 14.4 | 6.8 | 2.10 | −3% |
| Violence with injury | 807 | 11.9 | 8.1 | 1.46 | −6% |
| Vehicle offences | 494 | 7.3 | 5.0 | 1.45 | +9% |
| Other theft offences | 470 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 1.06 | −1% |
| Shoplifting | 360 | 5.3 | 8.1 | 0.65 | – |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 267 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 1.88 | +9% |
| Residential burglary | 235 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.39 | +30% |
| Other sexual offences | 199 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.29 | +36% |
| Arson | 183 | 2.7 | 0.38 | 7.09 | +61% |
| Possession of drugs | 111 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 0.66 | +12% |
| Non-residential burglary | 102 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.34 | +12% |
| Rape | 101 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.23 | +26% |
| Possession of weapons | 67 | 0.99 | 1.00 | 0.99 | −4% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 62 | 0.91 | 1.2 | 0.77 | −35% |
| Robbery of personal property | 24 | 0.35 | 0.91 | 0.39 | +20% |
| Robbery of business property | 20 | 0.29 | 0.47 | 0.62 | – |
| Bicycle theft | 19 | 0.28 | 0.85 | 0.33 | −17% |
| Theft from the person | 7 | 0.10 | 1.8 | 0.06 | −56% |
| Homicide | 2 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 3.67 | +100% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 0 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.00 | – |
Recorded crime in Blaenau Gwent since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. Blaenau Gwent's rate was above the England and Wales rate in every one of those 14 years. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7,772 | 114.5 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 7,963 | 117.3 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 7,644 | 112.6 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 8,018 | 118.1 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 7,168 | 105.6 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 6,212 | 91.5 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 6,860 | 101.1 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 7,271 | 107.1 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 6,119 | 90.2 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 5,042 | 74.3 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 4,763 | 70.2 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 5,233 | 77.1 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 4,958 | 73.0 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 4,572 | 67.4 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Gwent Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 5 districts in the Gwent Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Blaenau Gwent had the highest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaenau Gwent | 7,772 | 114.5 | 1.38 |
| Newport | 18,370 | 109.4 | 1.31 |
| Torfaen | 9,645 | 102.5 | 1.23 |
| Caerphilly | 15,093 | 85.3 | 1.03 |
| Monmouthshire | 6,090 | 64.2 | 0.77 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
Blaenau Gwent has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest districts.
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Blaenau Gwent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merthyr Tydfil | 6,454 | 109.4 | -26% |
| Caerphilly | 18,886 | 106.8 | -28% |
| Torfaen | 11,756 | 124.9 | -16% |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | 20,779 | 85.6 | -42% |
| Newport | 23,166 | 138.0 | -7% |
| Monmouthshire | 7,626 | 80.3 | -46% |
| Cardiff | 42,811 | 111.5 | -25% |
| Bridgend | 12,487 | 84.6 | -43% |
Of the 20 areas within Blaenau Gwent, Ebbw Vale South had the highest crime rate (262.2 per 1,000) and Cwm the lowest (70.0), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebbw Vale South | Neighbourhood | 4,318 | 1,132 | 262.2 |
| Tredegar | Neighbourhood | 5,936 | 1,516 | 255.4 |
| Tredegar | Town | 13,295 | 2,425 | 182.4 |
| Brynmawr | Town | 5,470 | 887 | 162.2 |
| Sirhowy | Neighbourhood | 5,211 | 805 | 154.5 |
| Abertillery and Six Bells | Neighbourhood | 6,541 | 985 | 150.6 |
| Ebbw Vale | Town | 20,482 | 3,028 | 147.8 |
| Nantyglo | Town | 4,630 | 669 | 144.5 |
| Abertillery | Town | 10,947 | 1,570 | 143.4 |
| Llanhilleth | Town | 1,540 | 220 | 142.9 |
| Llanhilleth | Neighbourhood | 4,484 | 627 | 139.8 |
| Swffryd | Town | 1,433 | 197 | 137.5 |
| Cwmtillery | Neighbourhood | 4,406 | 585 | 132.8 |
| Ebbw Vale North | Neighbourhood | 4,785 | 634 | 132.5 |
| Rassau and Garnlydan | Neighbourhood | 4,266 | 544 | 127.5 |
| Beaufort | Neighbourhood | 5,709 | 641 | 112.3 |
| Blaina | Town | 4,594 | 443 | 96.4 |
| Georgetown | Neighbourhood | 3,536 | 331 | 93.6 |
| Cwm | Town | 2,583 | 202 | 78.2 |
| Cwm | Neighbourhood | 3,987 | 279 | 70.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 21% of the crime recorded in Blaenau Gwent over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (866).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 866 |
| On or near Supermarket | 220 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 199 |
| On or near Blaina Road | 154 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 154 |
| On or near Church Street | 115 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 111 |
| On or near Market Street | 94 |
| On or near High Street | 89 |
| On or near Nightclub | 87 |
Of the 7,983 crimes in Blaenau Gwent with a recorded outcome, 28% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 2.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,095 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,205 | 40.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,235 | 28.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,353 | 16.9% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 399 | 5.0% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 230 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 218 | 2.7% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 130 | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 80 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 54 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 31 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 25 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 23 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Blaenau Gwent has an estimated population of 67,873 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (28%, against 18%), more social housing (24%, against 17%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (22%, against 34%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Blaenau Gwent average decile 3.6 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Blaenau Gwent | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 21.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 27.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 60.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.6 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 18.8% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Blaenau Gwent a safe place to live?
Blaenau Gwent recorded 148.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 14th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson and public order.
What is the most common crime in Blaenau Gwent?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,494 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,095).
Is crime in Blaenau Gwent going up or down?
Recorded crime in Blaenau Gwent was up 3% on the year before: 10,078 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 9,786 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Blaenau Gwent?
About 67,873 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Blaenau Gwent?
Blaenau Gwent is policed by Gwent.
How many crimes did the police record in Blaenau Gwent in the year ending March 2026?
7,772 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 114.5 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 7,963.
Which offences are more common in Blaenau Gwent than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were arson (183 offences, 7.1 times the England and Wales rate), public order offences (1,023 offences, 2.2 times the England and Wales rate) and criminal damage (976 offences, 2.1 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.