Crime in Rhondda Cynon Taf: statistics, rates and trends
20,779 crimes were recorded in Rhondda Cynon Taf in the 12 months to August 2026, 85.6 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Rhondda Cynon Taf at a glance
- Crime trends in Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Types of crime in Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Rhondda Cynon Taf compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Streets with the most crime in Rhondda Cynon Taf
- What happened after crimes were reported in Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Demographics of Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Questions about crime in Rhondda Cynon Taf
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (9,241), public order (2,581) and anti-social behaviour (2,537) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 157th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Rhondda Cynon Taf | Wales | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 20,779 | 306,958 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 85.6 | 96.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 242,844 | 3,186,581 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Rhondda Cynon Taf of any year here (20,779 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 7%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 20,779 | 85.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 21,098 | 86.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 22,026 | 90.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 21,379 | 88.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 21,197 | 87.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 24,521 | 101.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 24,091 | 99.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 22,506 | 92.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 22,240 | 91.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,065 |
| July 2026 | 2,204 |
| June 2026 | 1,914 |
| May 2026 | 1,855 |
| April 2026 | 1,515 |
| March 2026 | 1,624 |
| February 2026 | 1,520 |
| January 2026 | 1,605 |
| December 2025 | 1,538 |
| November 2025 | 1,629 |
| October 2025 | 1,788 |
| September 2025 | 1,522 |
Compared with England and Wales, Rhondda Cynon Taf recorded notably more public order (60% above the national rate), and notably less bicycle theft (88% below) and theft from the person (77% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 55 to 100 and theft from the person rose from 65 to 95, while bicycle theft fell from 42 to 24 and drugs fell from 631 to 528.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 9,241 | 38.1 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Public order | 2,581 | 10.6 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,537 | 10.4 | 15.4 | -14% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,548 | 6.4 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Shoplifting | 1,170 | 4.8 | 8.5 | +8% |
| Other theft | 926 | 3.8 | 6.4 | -9% |
| Vehicle crime | 717 | 3.0 | 5.0 | -1% |
| Other crime | 618 | 2.5 | 2.1 | -2% |
| Drugs | 528 | 2.2 | 3.3 | -16% |
| Burglary | 503 | 2.1 | 3.6 | -6% |
| Possession of weapons | 191 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +14% |
| Robbery | 100 | 0.4 | 1.4 | +82% |
| Theft from the person | 95 | 0.4 | 1.7 | +46% |
| Bicycle theft | 24 | 0.1 | 0.8 | -43% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Rhondda Cynon Taf; the highest is Blaenau Gwent (148.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Vale of Glamorgan (73.1).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Rhondda Cynon Taf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merthyr Tydfil | 6,454 | 109.4 | +28% |
| Caerphilly | 18,886 | 106.8 | +25% |
| Bridgend | 12,487 | 84.6 | -1% |
| Cardiff | 42,811 | 111.5 | +30% |
| Blaenau Gwent | 10,078 | 148.5 | +74% |
| Vale of Glamorgan | 9,926 | 73.1 | -15% |
| Torfaen | 11,756 | 124.9 | +46% |
| Neath Port Talbot | 11,824 | 82.5 | -4% |
Of the 70 areas within Rhondda Cynon Taf, Pontypridd Town had the highest crime rate (226.5 per 1,000) and Efail Isaf the lowest (19.1), 12 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontypridd Town | Neighbourhood | 2,958 | 670 | 226.5 |
| Talbot Green | Town | 2,814 | 614 | 218.2 |
| Aberdare East | Neighbourhood | 6,910 | 1,131 | 163.7 |
| Upper Rhydfelen and Glyn-taf | Neighbourhood | 3,071 | 409 | 133.2 |
| Porth | Neighbourhood | 5,715 | 728 | 127.4 |
| Wattstown | Town | 1,592 | 198 | 124.4 |
| Llwyn-y-pia | Neighbourhood | 2,212 | 272 | 123.0 |
| Taff's Well | Neighbourhood | 3,535 | 427 | 120.8 |
| Maerdy | Town | 3,260 | 369 | 113.2 |
| Hawthorn and Lower Rhydfelen | Neighbourhood | 2,300 | 256 | 111.3 |
| Llantrisant and Talbot Green | Neighbourhood | 7,551 | 812 | 107.5 |
| Pen-y-waun | Neighbourhood | 3,044 | 326 | 107.1 |
| Pontypridd | Town | 33,992 | 3,597 | 105.8 |
| Cwmbach | Neighbourhood | 5,212 | 535 | 102.6 |
| Treforest | Neighbourhood | 6,345 | 633 | 99.8 |
| Pen-y-graig | Neighbourhood | 5,334 | 530 | 99.4 |
| Porth | Town | 12,897 | 1,273 | 98.7 |
| Mountain Ash | Neighbourhood | 7,531 | 729 | 96.8 |
| Graig and Pontypridd West | Neighbourhood | 7,422 | 716 | 96.5 |
| Aberdare | Town | 38,302 | 3,670 | 95.8 |
| Tylorstown and Ynyshir | Neighbourhood | 7,471 | 703 | 94.1 |
| Penrhiw-ceibr | Neighbourhood | 5,874 | 536 | 91.2 |
| Tylorstown and Pontygwaith | Town | 3,016 | 274 | 90.8 |
| Llanharan and Brynna | Town | 8,719 | 781 | 89.6 |
| Tonyrefail | Town | 9,937 | 889 | 89.5 |
| Taff's Well | Town | 2,866 | 254 | 88.6 |
| Mountain Ash | Town | 11,973 | 1,058 | 88.4 |
| Rhondda | Town | 13,398 | 1,169 | 87.3 |
| Brynna and Llanharan | Neighbourhood | 10,389 | 903 | 86.9 |
| Treorchy | Town | 7,621 | 662 | 86.9 |
| Hendreforgan | Town | 1,769 | 152 | 85.9 |
| Cymer | Neighbourhood | 5,472 | 467 | 85.3 |
| Ystrad | Neighbourhood | 5,906 | 504 | 85.3 |
| Tonyrefail East | Neighbourhood | 6,332 | 539 | 85.1 |
| Ferndale and Maerdy | Neighbourhood | 7,281 | 609 | 83.6 |
| Aberaman | Neighbourhood | 10,430 | 872 | 83.6 |
| Rhydfelen Central | Neighbourhood | 3,646 | 301 | 82.6 |
| Treherbert | Town | 5,790 | 466 | 80.5 |
| Tonypandy | Town | 17,228 | 1,386 | 80.5 |
| Trallwng | Neighbourhood | 3,739 | 295 | 78.9 |
| Tonypandy | Neighbourhood | 3,550 | 269 | 75.8 |
| Abercynon | Neighbourhood | 6,328 | 479 | 75.7 |
| Pentre | Neighbourhood | 5,280 | 393 | 74.4 |
| Glyn-coch | Neighbourhood | 2,905 | 214 | 73.7 |
| Beddau | Town | 7,642 | 562 | 73.5 |
| Beddau and Tyn-y-nant | Neighbourhood | 7,642 | 562 | 73.5 |
| Trealaw | Neighbourhood | 4,131 | 295 | 71.4 |
| Hirwaun, Penderyn and Rhigos | Neighbourhood | 6,156 | 438 | 71.2 |
| Tonyrefail West | Neighbourhood | 7,072 | 500 | 70.7 |
| Cwm Clydach | Neighbourhood | 2,798 | 196 | 70.1 |
| Abercynon | Town | 4,573 | 316 | 69.1 |
| Twyn Bryn-hîr | Town | 1,799 | 122 | 67.8 |
| Cilfynydd | Neighbourhood | 2,917 | 196 | 67.2 |
| Pontyclun Central | Neighbourhood | 1,623 | 109 | 67.2 |
| Aberdare West and Llwydcoed | Neighbourhood | 9,807 | 658 | 67.1 |
| Gilfach-goch | Neighbourhood | 3,458 | 222 | 64.2 |
| Ferndale | Town | 4,021 | 240 | 59.7 |
| Ynysybwl | Town | 4,605 | 260 | 56.5 |
| Llanharry | Town | 3,042 | 158 | 51.9 |
| Ton-teg | Neighbourhood | 2,595 | 123 | 47.4 |
| Church Village | Neighbourhood | 7,125 | 330 | 46.3 |
| Gilfach Goch | Town | 2,816 | 128 | 45.5 |
| Llantrisant | Town | 4,737 | 198 | 41.8 |
| Church Village | Town | 14,444 | 574 | 39.7 |
| Pontyclun | Town | 5,136 | 200 | 38.9 |
| Pontyclun West | Neighbourhood | 3,277 | 111 | 33.9 |
| Pontyclun East | Neighbourhood | 3,513 | 91 | 25.9 |
| Brynsadler | Town | 1,791 | 45 | 25.1 |
| Llantwit Fardre | Neighbourhood | 5,929 | 144 | 24.3 |
| Efail Isaf | Town | 1,205 | 23 | 19.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 16% of the crime recorded in Rhondda Cynon Taf over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (905).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 905 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 402 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 401 |
| On or near Supermarket | 387 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 350 |
| On or near Church Street | 218 |
| On or near Nightclub | 194 |
| On or near Park/Open Space | 158 |
| On or near Police Station | 147 |
| On or near Fernhill | 121 |
Of the 18,242 crimes in Rhondda Cynon Taf with a recorded outcome, 22% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,537 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 7,492 | 41.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,952 | 21.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 3,486 | 19.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,064 | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 986 | 5.4% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 479 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 418 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 234 | 1.3% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 78 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 41 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 9 | 0.0% | 1.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 3 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Rhondda Cynon Taf has an estimated population of 242,844 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (24%, against 18%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (27%, against 34%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Rhondda Cynon Taf average decile 4.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Rhondda Cynon Taf | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 22.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.8 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 11.9% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Rhondda Cynon Taf a safe place to live?
Rhondda Cynon Taf recorded 85.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 157th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order.
What is the most common crime in Rhondda Cynon Taf?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 9,241 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by public order (2,581).
Is crime in Rhondda Cynon Taf going up or down?
Recorded crime in Rhondda Cynon Taf was down 2% on the year before: 20,779 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 21,098 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Rhondda Cynon Taf?
About 242,844 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Rhondda Cynon Taf?
Rhondda Cynon Taf 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.