Crime in Swansea district: statistics, rates and trends

Violence and sexual offences (8,504), public order (2,532) and anti-social behaviour (2,470) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 150th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.

The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Swansea district of any year here (21,732 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 16%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.

Month by month

Compared with England and Wales, Swansea district recorded notably more public order (51% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (69% below) and robbery (60% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 88 to 138 and possession of weapons rose from 199 to 244, while anti-social behaviour fell from 3,085 to 2,470 and bicycle theft fell from 165 to 137.

What each category covers: crime categories.

18,647 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Swansea district in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 74.2 per 1,000 residents, close to the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was down 5% on the year ending March 2025 (19,569), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Swansea district had the 133rd 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 Swansea district, the year ending March 2026

The largest category was stalking and harassment, with 2,956 offences (16% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for trafficking of drugs (1.3 times the national rate) and public order offences (1.3 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for robbery of personal property (0.17 times), theft from the person (0.26 times) and residential burglary (0.44 times).

The largest rises on the year were in possession of drugs (+29%) and possession of weapons (+20%). The largest falls were in bicycle theft (−25%) and theft from the person (−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).

Recorded crime in Swansea district 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. Swansea district's rate was above the England and Wales rate in 4 of those 14 years and below it in 10. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).

Districts in the South Wales Police area, the year ending March 2026

Of the 5 districts in the South Wales Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Swansea district had the 2nd highest rate. Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf are not in the table because the Home Office publishes each of them jointly with a neighbouring district, as one community safety partnership.

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.

3 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Swansea district; the highest is Blaenau Gwent (148.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Vale of Glamorgan (73.1).

Of the 45 areas within Swansea district, Castle had the highest crime rate (340.7 per 1,000) and Southgate the lowest (15.2), 22 times apart.

The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Swansea district over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,272).

Of the 19,262 crimes in Swansea district with a recorded outcome, 26% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,470 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.

Swansea district has an estimated population of 251,304 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (11.7%, against 7.9%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Swansea district average decile 5.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.

Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.