Crime in Gwynedd: statistics, rates and trends
10,688 crimes were recorded in Gwynedd in the 12 months to August 2026, 88.5 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Gwynedd at a glance
- Crime trends in Gwynedd
- Types of crime in Gwynedd
- Home Office recorded crime in Gwynedd
- Gwynedd compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Gwynedd
- Streets with the most crime in Gwynedd
- What happened after crimes were reported in Gwynedd
- Demographics of Gwynedd
- Questions about crime in Gwynedd
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,220), anti-social behaviour (2,242) and criminal damage and arson (922) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 137th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Gwynedd | Wales | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 10,688 | 306,958 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 88.5 | 96.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 120,813 | 3,186,581 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Gwynedd peaked in the year to August 2022 (12,147 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (10,005). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 3%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 10,688 | 88.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 10,506 | 87.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 10,005 | 82.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 11,081 | 91.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 12,147 | 100.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 10,982 | 90.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 11,342 | 93.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 11,132 | 92.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 10,395 | 86.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,278 |
| July 2026 | 934 |
| June 2026 | 901 |
| May 2026 | 1,069 |
| April 2026 | 918 |
| March 2026 | 875 |
| February 2026 | 779 |
| January 2026 | 832 |
| December 2025 | 707 |
| November 2025 | 834 |
| October 2025 | 776 |
| September 2025 | 785 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (87% below) and robbery (78% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 27 to 36 and theft from the person rose from 21 to 26, while bicycle theft fell from 41 to 30.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,220 | 34.9 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,242 | 18.6 | 15.4 | 0% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 922 | 7.6 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Shoplifting | 797 | 6.6 | 8.5 | +9% |
| Public order | 749 | 6.2 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Other theft | 644 | 5.3 | 6.4 | -1% |
| Burglary | 281 | 2.3 | 3.6 | +21% |
| Drugs | 268 | 2.2 | 3.3 | -9% |
| Other crime | 218 | 1.8 | 2.1 | +3% |
| Vehicle crime | 159 | 1.3 | 5.0 | -7% |
| Possession of weapons | 96 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +9% |
| Robbery | 36 | 0.3 | 1.4 | +33% |
| Bicycle theft | 30 | 0.2 | 0.8 | -27% |
| Theft from the person | 26 | 0.2 | 1.7 | +24% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
8,420 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Gwynedd in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 69.7 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was up 2% on the year ending March 2025 (8,259), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Gwynedd had the 120th lowest 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 Gwynedd, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 1,457 offences (17% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for arson (1.6 times the national rate) and other sexual offences (1.3 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.10 times), robbery of personal property (0.27 times) and vehicle offences (0.28 times).
The largest rises on the year were in trafficking of drugs (+98%) and miscellaneous crimes against society (+38%). The largest falls were in theft from the person (−39%) and bicycle theft (−22%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 1,457 | 12.1 | 13.2 | 0.91 | +6% |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,396 | 11.6 | 10.1 | 1.15 | −4% |
| Violence with injury | 878 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 0.89 | −16% |
| Criminal damage | 824 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 1.00 | +0% |
| Public order offences | 774 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 0.92 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 728 | 6.0 | 8.1 | 0.74 | – |
| Other theft offences | 616 | 5.1 | 6.5 | 0.78 | −1% |
| Other sexual offences | 345 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.25 | +7% |
| Possession of drugs | 265 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.88 | +18% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 252 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.99 | +38% |
| Vehicle offences | 168 | 1.4 | 5.0 | 0.28 | +5% |
| Residential burglary | 155 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 0.52 | 0% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 111 | 0.92 | 1.2 | 0.78 | +98% |
| Rape | 103 | 0.85 | 1.2 | 0.71 | −16% |
| Possession of weapons | 99 | 0.82 | 1.00 | 0.82 | +16% |
| Non-residential burglary | 78 | 0.65 | 1.1 | 0.58 | −14% |
| Arson | 75 | 0.62 | 0.38 | 1.63 | +23% |
| Bicycle theft | 35 | 0.29 | 0.85 | 0.34 | −22% |
| Robbery of personal property | 30 | 0.25 | 0.91 | 0.27 | +67% |
| Theft from the person | 22 | 0.18 | 1.8 | 0.10 | −39% |
| Robbery of business property | 6 | 0.05 | 0.47 | 0.10 | – |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 3 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.71 | −50% |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | −100% |
Recorded crime in Gwynedd 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. Gwynedd's rate was below 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 | 8,420 | 69.7 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 8,259 | 68.4 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 8,510 | 70.4 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 9,563 | 79.2 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 10,236 | 84.7 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 8,168 | 67.6 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 9,604 | 79.5 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 8,879 | 73.5 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 7,950 | 65.8 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 6,446 | 53.4 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 6,147 | 50.9 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 5,863 | 48.5 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 5,872 | 48.6 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 5,936 | 49.1 | 56.7 |
Districts in the North Wales Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 6 districts in the North Wales Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Gwynedd had the 3rd lowest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denbighshire | 9,301 | 94.7 | 1.14 |
| Wrexham | 11,482 | 83.1 | 1.00 |
| Conwy | 9,411 | 81.9 | 0.98 |
| Gwynedd | 8,420 | 69.7 | 0.84 |
| Flintshire | 9,893 | 63.5 | 0.76 |
| Isle of Anglesey | 3,907 | 56.5 | 0.68 |
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.
5 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Gwynedd; the highest is Liverpool district (136.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Isle of Anglesey (73.4).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Gwynedd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isle of Anglesey | 5,069 | 73.4 | -17% |
| Conwy | 12,177 | 106.0 | +20% |
| Denbighshire | 10,876 | 110.8 | +25% |
| Flintshire | 11,941 | 76.6 | -13% |
| Wrexham | 13,929 | 100.8 | +14% |
| Ceredigion | 6,612 | 91.1 | +3% |
| Wirral | 26,029 | 79.1 | -11% |
| Liverpool | 69,301 | 136.2 | +54% |
Of the 77 areas within Gwynedd, Canol Tref Caernarfon had the highest crime rate (299.9 per 1,000) and Y Bontnewydd the lowest (20.9), 14 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canol Tref Caernarfon | Neighbourhood | 1,584 | 475 | 299.9 |
| Dewi | Neighbourhood | 2,101 | 402 | 191.3 |
| Gogledd Pwllheli | Neighbourhood | 2,144 | 404 | 188.4 |
| Cadnant | Neighbourhood | 2,230 | 405 | 181.6 |
| Canol Bangor | Neighbourhood | 9,121 | 1,526 | 167.3 |
| Bowydd a'r Rhiw | Neighbourhood | 1,745 | 282 | 161.6 |
| Caernarfon | Town | 10,299 | 1,646 | 159.8 |
| Dwyrain Bangor | Neighbourhood | 3,717 | 582 | 156.6 |
| Bangor | Town | 18,682 | 2,903 | 155.4 |
| Peblig | Neighbourhood | 2,656 | 388 | 146.1 |
| Blaenau Ffestiniog | Town | 2,771 | 395 | 142.5 |
| Gorllewin Porthmadog | Neighbourhood | 1,615 | 226 | 139.9 |
| Menai | Neighbourhood | 2,224 | 301 | 135.3 |
| Pwllheli | Town | 3,978 | 514 | 129.2 |
| Barmouth | Town | 2,216 | 277 | 125.0 |
| Abermaw | Neighbourhood | 2,216 | 277 | 125.0 |
| Porthmadog | Town | 1,757 | 202 | 115.0 |
| Dwyrain Porthmadog | Neighbourhood | 1,757 | 202 | 115.0 |
| Glaslyn | Neighbourhood | 1,185 | 133 | 112.2 |
| Diffwys a Maenofferen | Neighbourhood | 1,026 | 113 | 110.1 |
| Glyder | Neighbourhood | 1,693 | 175 | 103.4 |
| Canol Bethesda | Neighbourhood | 2,415 | 238 | 98.6 |
| De Dolgellau | Neighbourhood | 1,430 | 131 | 91.6 |
| Dolgellau | Town | 2,685 | 242 | 90.1 |
| Y Faenol | Neighbourhood | 3,221 | 285 | 88.5 |
| Gogledd Dolgellau | Neighbourhood | 1,255 | 111 | 88.4 |
| Llanberis | Town | 1,988 | 172 | 86.5 |
| Penygroes | Town | 1,865 | 157 | 84.2 |
| Pen-y-groes | Neighbourhood | 1,865 | 157 | 84.2 |
| Penrhyndeudraeth | Town | 1,443 | 117 | 81.1 |
| Nefyn | Town | 1,282 | 99 | 77.2 |
| Arllechwedd | Neighbourhood | 1,533 | 118 | 77.0 |
| Teigl | Neighbourhood | 1,853 | 142 | 76.6 |
| Yr Eifl | Neighbourhood | 1,615 | 121 | 74.9 |
| Bethesda | Town | 4,636 | 347 | 74.8 |
| Llanbedrog gyda Mynytho | Neighbourhood | 2,503 | 180 | 71.9 |
| Y Bala | Town | 1,974 | 141 | 71.4 |
| Penrhyndeudraeth | Neighbourhood | 2,535 | 167 | 65.9 |
| Harlech | Town | 1,895 | 119 | 62.8 |
| Harlech a Llanbedr | Neighbourhood | 1,895 | 119 | 62.8 |
| Bro Dysynni | Neighbourhood | 1,968 | 123 | 62.5 |
| Dyffryn Ardudwy | Town | 2,390 | 148 | 61.9 |
| Llanystumdwy | Neighbourhood | 2,020 | 123 | 60.9 |
| De Pwllheli | Neighbourhood | 1,834 | 110 | 60.0 |
| Tre-garth a Mynydd Llandygái | Neighbourhood | 2,172 | 130 | 59.9 |
| Llanllyfni | Town | 2,220 | 132 | 59.5 |
| Tywyn | Town | 3,220 | 188 | 58.4 |
| Morfa Tywyn | Neighbourhood | 3,220 | 188 | 58.4 |
| Y Felinheli | Town | 2,288 | 129 | 56.4 |
| Clwt-y-bont | Town | 1,859 | 101 | 54.3 |
| Deiniolen | Neighbourhood | 1,859 | 101 | 54.3 |
| Bethel a'r Felinheli | Neighbourhood | 3,404 | 181 | 53.2 |
| Llanuwchllyn | Neighbourhood | 1,349 | 71 | 52.6 |
| Morfa Nefyn a Thudweiliog | Neighbourhood | 1,239 | 65 | 52.5 |
| Llanllyfni | Neighbourhood | 4,222 | 218 | 51.6 |
| Gerlan | Neighbourhood | 2,221 | 109 | 49.1 |
| Waunfawr | Town | 1,682 | 82 | 48.8 |
| Llanrug | Town | 1,897 | 92 | 48.5 |
| Trawsfynydd | Town | 1,426 | 69 | 48.4 |
| Hendre | Neighbourhood | 1,605 | 77 | 48.0 |
| Criccieth | Town | 1,702 | 81 | 47.6 |
| Bethel | Town | 1,116 | 52 | 46.6 |
| Groeslon | Town | 1,675 | 77 | 46.0 |
| Y Groeslon | Neighbourhood | 1,675 | 77 | 46.0 |
| Abererch | Neighbourhood | 1,257 | 52 | 41.4 |
| Corris a Mawddwy | Neighbourhood | 1,257 | 51 | 40.6 |
| Arthog a Llangelynnin | Neighbourhood | 1,928 | 78 | 40.5 |
| Brithdir and Llanfachreth/Ganllwyd/Llanelltyd | Neighbourhood | 1,410 | 51 | 36.2 |
| Llandderfel | Neighbourhood | 1,149 | 37 | 32.2 |
| Pen draw Llŷn | Neighbourhood | 2,844 | 82 | 28.8 |
| Penisa'r-waun | Neighbourhood | 1,696 | 46 | 27.1 |
| Llanwnda | Neighbourhood | 2,210 | 59 | 26.7 |
| Efailnewydd a Buan | Neighbourhood | 1,355 | 35 | 25.8 |
| Cwm-y-glo | Neighbourhood | 1,183 | 30 | 25.4 |
| Dolbenmaen | Neighbourhood | 1,208 | 28 | 23.2 |
| Bontnewydd | Town | 1,053 | 22 | 20.9 |
| Y Bontnewydd | Neighbourhood | 1,053 | 22 | 20.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in Gwynedd over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,214).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,214 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 346 |
| On or near Supermarket | 329 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 299 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 257 |
| On or near Hospital | 195 |
| On or near Rhes Plas Llwyd | 123 |
| On or near Rhes Pretoria | 118 |
| On or near Park/Open Space | 114 |
| On or near High Street | 102 |
Of the 8,446 crimes in Gwynedd with a recorded outcome, 20% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,242 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,264 | 38.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,711 | 20.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,588 | 18.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 610 | 7.2% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 528 | 6.3% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 237 | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 230 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 91 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 78 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 42 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 35 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 32 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
Gwynedd has an estimated population of 120,813 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (10.3%, against 7.9%), fewer households without a car (18%, against 23%) and an older population (23%, against 19%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Gwynedd average decile 5.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Gwynedd | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 34.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.5 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 4.3% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Gwynedd a safe place to live?
Gwynedd recorded 88.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 137th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Gwynedd?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,220 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,242).
Is crime in Gwynedd going up or down?
Recorded crime in Gwynedd was up 2% on the year before: 10,688 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 10,506 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Gwynedd?
About 120,813 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 23% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Gwynedd?
Gwynedd is policed by North Wales.
How many crimes did the police record in Gwynedd in the year ending March 2026?
8,420 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 69.7 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 8,259.
Which offences are more common in Gwynedd than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were arson (75 offences, 1.6 times the England and Wales rate) and other sexual offences (345 offences, 1.3 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.