Crime in Merthyr Tydfil district: statistics, rates and trends
6,454 crimes were recorded in Merthyr Tydfil district in the 12 months to August 2026, 109.4 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Merthyr Tydfil district at a glance
- Crime trends in Merthyr Tydfil district
- Types of crime in Merthyr Tydfil district
- Merthyr Tydfil district compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Merthyr Tydfil district
- Streets with the most crime in Merthyr Tydfil district
- What happened after crimes were reported in Merthyr Tydfil district
- Demographics of Merthyr Tydfil district
- Questions about crime in Merthyr Tydfil district
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,442), anti-social behaviour (841) and public order (677) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 75th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Merthyr Tydfil district | Wales | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 6,454 | 306,958 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 109.4 | 96.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 58,972 | 3,186,581 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Merthyr Tydfil district of any year here (6,454 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 6,454 | 109.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 6,536 | 110.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 6,991 | 118.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 7,010 | 118.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 6,533 | 110.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 7,144 | 121.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 7,289 | 123.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 6,905 | 117.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,156 | 121.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 665 |
| July 2026 | 671 |
| June 2026 | 565 |
| May 2026 | 547 |
| April 2026 | 544 |
| March 2026 | 500 |
| February 2026 | 433 |
| January 2026 | 546 |
| December 2025 | 470 |
| November 2025 | 478 |
| October 2025 | 552 |
| September 2025 | 483 |
Compared with England and Wales, Merthyr Tydfil district recorded notably more public order (72% above the national rate), other crime (47% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (43% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (66% below) and robbery (44% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 25 to 45, while possession of weapons fell from 57 to 48.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,442 | 41.4 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 841 | 14.3 | 15.4 | -9% |
| Public order | 677 | 11.5 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Shoplifting | 629 | 10.7 | 8.5 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 567 | 9.6 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Other theft | 354 | 6.0 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 278 | 4.7 | 5.0 | -14% |
| Other crime | 183 | 3.1 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Drugs | 177 | 3.0 | 3.3 | -4% |
| Burglary | 170 | 2.9 | 3.6 | -1% |
| Possession of weapons | 48 | 0.8 | 1.0 | -16% |
| Robbery | 45 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +80% |
| Theft from the person | 34 | 0.6 | 1.7 | +3% |
| Bicycle theft | 9 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Merthyr Tydfil district; the highest is Blaenau Gwent (148.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Neath Port Talbot (82.5).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Merthyr Tydfil district |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaenau Gwent | 10,078 | 148.5 | +36% |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | 20,779 | 85.6 | -22% |
| Caerphilly | 18,886 | 106.8 | -2% |
| Torfaen | 11,756 | 124.9 | +14% |
| Bridgend | 12,487 | 84.6 | -23% |
| Cardiff | 42,811 | 111.5 | +2% |
| Newport | 23,166 | 138.0 | +26% |
| Neath Port Talbot | 11,824 | 82.5 | -25% |
Of the 15 areas within Merthyr Tydfil district, Park had the highest crime rate (167.0 per 1,000) and Treharris the lowest (57.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Neighbourhood | 4,198 | 701 | 167.0 |
| Gurnos | Neighbourhood | 5,419 | 824 | 152.1 |
| Town | Neighbourhood | 7,990 | 1,198 | 149.9 |
| Cyfarthfa | Neighbourhood | 7,398 | 953 | 128.8 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | Town | 38,433 | 4,434 | 115.4 |
| Dowlais and Pant | Neighbourhood | 6,657 | 660 | 99.1 |
| Plymouth | Neighbourhood | 4,886 | 482 | 98.6 |
| Aberfan | Town | 2,356 | 216 | 91.7 |
| Merthyr Vale | Neighbourhood | 3,975 | 346 | 87.0 |
| Troedyrhiw and Pentrebach | Town | 2,832 | 241 | 85.1 |
| Penydarren | Neighbourhood | 5,189 | 435 | 83.8 |
| Bedlinog | Town | 1,346 | 109 | 81.0 |
| Vaynor | Neighbourhood | 3,289 | 259 | 78.7 |
| Bedlinog and Trelewis | Neighbourhood | 3,765 | 242 | 64.3 |
| Treharris | Town | 6,206 | 354 | 57.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Merthyr Tydfil district over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (532).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 532 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 217 |
| On or near John Street | 180 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 159 |
| On or near Police Station | 144 |
| On or near Coedcae Row | 97 |
| On or near Coffins Row | 85 |
| On or near Post Office Lane | 75 |
| On or near Blackthorn Avenue | 70 |
| On or near Second Avenue | 55 |
Of the 5,613 crimes in Merthyr Tydfil district with a recorded outcome, 24% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 9.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 841 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,971 | 35.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,363 | 24.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 981 | 17.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 555 | 9.9% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 276 | 4.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 213 | 3.8% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 162 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 45 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 26 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 15 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 4 | 0.1% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
Merthyr Tydfil district has an estimated population of 58,972 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (27%, against 18%), more social housing (22%, against 17%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (25%, against 34%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Merthyr Tydfil district average decile 4.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Merthyr Tydfil district | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 26.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 25.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 62.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.1 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 17.1% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Merthyr Tydfil district a safe place to live?
Merthyr Tydfil district recorded 109.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 75th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Merthyr Tydfil district?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,442 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (841).
Is crime in Merthyr Tydfil district going up or down?
Recorded crime in Merthyr Tydfil district was down 1% on the year before: 6,454 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 6,536 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Merthyr Tydfil district?
About 58,972 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Merthyr Tydfil district?
Merthyr Tydfil district is policed by South Wales.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.