Crime in Cathays: statistics, rates and trends
7,292 crimes were recorded in Cathays in the 12 months to August 2026, 304.8 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,277), shoplifting (1,435) and anti-social behaviour (761) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 63rd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Cathays | Cardiff | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 7,292 | 42,811 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 304.8 | 111.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 23,927 | 383,919 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Cathays peaked in the year to August 2018 (9,792 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (6,831). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 26%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 7,292 | 304.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 7,054 | 294.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 8,196 | 342.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 7,425 | 310.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 7,884 | 329.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,831 | 285.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 7,091 | 296.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 9,006 | 376.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 9,792 | 409.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 763 |
| July 2026 | 720 |
| June 2026 | 655 |
| May 2026 | 628 |
| April 2026 | 583 |
| March 2026 | 546 |
| February 2026 | 532 |
| January 2026 | 460 |
| December 2025 | 593 |
| November 2025 | 661 |
| October 2025 | 634 |
| September 2025 | 517 |
Compared with England and Wales, Cathays recorded notably more bicycle theft (14.8 times the national rate), shoplifting (7.1 times the national rate) and theft from the person (4.1 times the national rate). On the year before, robbery rose from 84 to 135 and vehicle crime rose from 249 to 373, while burglary fell from 213 to 130 and other crime fell from 69 to 57.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,277 | 95.2 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 1,435 | 60.0 | 8.5 | +7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 761 | 31.8 | 15.4 | -16% |
| Public order | 648 | 27.1 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Other theft | 411 | 17.2 | 6.4 | -12% |
| Vehicle crime | 373 | 15.6 | 5.0 | +50% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 353 | 14.8 | 6.7 | +22% |
| Bicycle theft | 292 | 12.2 | 0.8 | +5% |
| Drugs | 195 | 8.1 | 3.3 | -2% |
| Theft from the person | 167 | 7.0 | 1.7 | -17% |
| Robbery | 135 | 5.6 | 1.4 | +61% |
| Burglary | 130 | 5.4 | 3.6 | -39% |
| Possession of weapons | 58 | 2.4 | 1.0 | +16% |
| Other crime | 57 | 2.4 | 2.1 | -17% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
The 10 locations below account for 57% of the crime recorded in Cathays over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,109).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,109 |
| On or near Nightclub | 589 |
| On or near Heol Eglwys Fair | 478 |
| On or near Supermarket | 462 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 423 |
| On or near Heol Y Tollty | 326 |
| On or near St John Street | 242 |
| On or near Heol Tyr Brodyr | 186 |
| On or near Conference/Exhibition Centre | 185 |
| On or near The Hayes | 183 |
Of the 6,531 crimes in Cathays with a recorded outcome, 44% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 9.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 761 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,883 | 44.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,313 | 20.1% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 898 | 13.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 625 | 9.6% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 337 | 5.2% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 221 | 3.4% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 138 | 2.1% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 60 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 24 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 8 | 0.1% | 1.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 3 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Cathays has an estimated population of 23,927 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (71.9%, against 7.9%), more private renting (72%, against 20%) and more unemployed residents (6.9%, against 3.4%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Cathays average decile 6.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Cathays | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 4.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 2.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 31.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 3.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 71.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 32.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 4.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 41.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 21.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 6.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 71.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.7 | 5.5 (Wales) |
Is Cathays a safe place to live?
Cathays recorded 304.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 63rd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Cathays?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,277 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (1,435).
Is crime in Cathays going up or down?
Recorded crime in Cathays was up 3% on the year before: 7,292 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 7,054 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Cathays?
About 23,927 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 2.4% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Cathays?
Cathays 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.