Crime in the Dyfed-Powys Police area: statistics, rates and trends
44,753 crimes were recorded in the Dyfed-Powys Police area in the 12 months to August 2026, 85.4 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in the Dyfed-Powys Police area at a glance
- Crime trends in the Dyfed-Powys Police area
- Types of crime in the Dyfed-Powys Police area
- Home Office recorded crime in the Dyfed-Powys Police area
- The Dyfed-Powys Police area compared with nearby police force areas
- Areas within the Dyfed-Powys Police area
- What happened after crimes were reported in the Dyfed-Powys Police area
- Demographics of the Dyfed-Powys Police area
- Questions about crime in the Dyfed-Powys Police area
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (19,848), anti-social behaviour (7,300) and criminal damage and arson (4,150) made up 70% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 27th of the 41 police force areas covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | the Dyfed-Powys Police area | Wales | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 44,753 | 306,958 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 85.4 | 96.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +6% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 524,219 | 3,186,581 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in the Dyfed-Powys Police area peaked in the year to August 2022 (48,203 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (29,324). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 44,753 | 85.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 42,232 | 80.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 29,324 | 55.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 43,164 | 82.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 48,203 | 92.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 43,043 | 82.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 44,578 | 85.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 41,180 | 78.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 40,516 | 77.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 3,651 |
| July 2026 | 4,181 |
| June 2026 | 3,809 |
| May 2026 | 5,392 |
| April 2026 | 4,968 |
| March 2026 | 3,838 |
| February 2026 | 3,154 |
| January 2026 | 3,135 |
| December 2025 | 2,964 |
| November 2025 | 3,230 |
| October 2025 | 3,359 |
| September 2025 | 3,072 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and robbery (87% below) and theft from the person (83% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 4,036 to 7,300 and shoplifting rose from 1,728 to 2,026, while drugs fell from 1,877 to 1,532 and bicycle theft fell from 140 to 115.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 19,848 | 37.9 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 7,300 | 13.9 | 15.4 | +81% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4,150 | 7.9 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Public order | 3,368 | 6.4 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Other theft | 2,355 | 4.5 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Shoplifting | 2,026 | 3.9 | 8.5 | +17% |
| Drugs | 1,532 | 2.9 | 3.3 | -18% |
| Burglary | 1,417 | 2.7 | 3.6 | -8% |
| Other crime | 1,133 | 2.2 | 2.1 | -5% |
| Vehicle crime | 782 | 1.5 | 5.0 | +6% |
| Possession of weapons | 480 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +11% |
| Theft from the person | 153 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -10% |
| Bicycle theft | 115 | 0.2 | 0.8 | -18% |
| Robbery | 94 | 0.2 | 1.4 | -12% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
35,875 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in the Dyfed-Powys Police area in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 68.4 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was down 5% on the year ending March 2025 (37,885), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 43 territorial police force areas of England and Wales, the Dyfed-Powys Police area had the 15th lowest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 41 force areas with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Offences recorded in the Dyfed-Powys Police area, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 6,799 offences (19% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (2.3 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.11 times), robbery of personal property (0.17 times) and vehicle offences (0.26 times).
The largest rises on the year were in death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (+50%) and rape (+28%). The largest falls were in theft from the person (−26%) and non-residential burglary (−24%). 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 | 6,799 | 13.0 | 13.2 | 0.98 | −2% |
| Stalking and harassment | 6,114 | 11.7 | 10.1 | 1.16 | −14% |
| Criminal damage | 3,890 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 1.09 | +1% |
| Violence with injury | 3,786 | 7.2 | 8.1 | 0.89 | −1% |
| Public order offences | 3,483 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 0.95 | −12% |
| Other theft offences | 2,274 | 4.3 | 6.5 | 0.66 | −3% |
| Shoplifting | 1,765 | 3.4 | 8.1 | 0.41 | – |
| Possession of drugs | 1,406 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 1.07 | −4% |
| Other sexual offences | 1,366 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 1.14 | +12% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 1,034 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 0.94 | 0% |
| Residential burglary | 954 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.73 | −12% |
| Rape | 681 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.08 | +28% |
| Vehicle offences | 676 | 1.3 | 5.0 | 0.26 | −6% |
| Possession of weapons | 432 | 0.82 | 1.00 | 0.83 | +4% |
| Non-residential burglary | 391 | 0.75 | 1.1 | 0.67 | −24% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 249 | 0.47 | 1.2 | 0.40 | −20% |
| Arson | 186 | 0.35 | 0.38 | 0.93 | +11% |
| Bicycle theft | 140 | 0.27 | 0.85 | 0.31 | +27% |
| Theft from the person | 104 | 0.20 | 1.8 | 0.11 | −26% |
| Robbery of personal property | 82 | 0.16 | 0.91 | 0.17 | −16% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 42 | 0.08 | 0.03 | 2.30 | +50% |
| Robbery of business property | 16 | 0.03 | 0.47 | 0.06 | – |
| Homicide | 5 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 1.19 | +25% |
Recorded crime in the Dyfed-Powys Police area 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. The Dyfed-Powys Police area'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 | 35,875 | 68.4 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 37,885 | 72.3 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 37,130 | 70.8 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 44,970 | 85.8 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 42,350 | 80.8 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 32,221 | 61.5 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 32,289 | 61.6 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 30,386 | 58.0 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 26,773 | 51.1 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 23,379 | 44.6 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 21,448 | 40.9 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 18,975 | 36.2 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 18,618 | 35.5 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 18,714 | 35.7 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Dyfed-Powys Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 4 districts in the Dyfed-Powys Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Pembrokeshire had the highest rate (72.3 per 1,000) and Ceredigion the lowest (55.1). 7.6% of the crimes recorded in the area that year were not assigned to a district, so the district figures add up to less than the force total.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pembrokeshire | 9,094 | 72.3 | 0.87 |
| Carmarthenshire | 12,589 | 66.0 | 0.79 |
| Powys | 7,454 | 55.2 | 0.66 |
| Ceredigion | 4,003 | 55.1 | 0.66 |
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 police force areas have a higher crime rate than the Dyfed-Powys Police area; the highest is the Gwent Police area (118.9 per 1,000) and the lowest the Wiltshire Police area (67.3).
| Police force area | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs the Dyfed-Powys Police area |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Wales | 126,013 | 92.4 | +8% |
| Gwent | 71,512 | 118.9 | +39% |
| Avon and Somerset | 188,310 | 103.8 | +22% |
| West Mercia | 96,831 | 72.2 | -15% |
| North Wales | 64,680 | 92.8 | +9% |
| West Midlands | 323,754 | 106.6 | +25% |
| Devon & Cornwall | 140,138 | 76.2 | -11% |
| Wiltshire | 51,659 | 67.3 | -21% |
Of the 4 areas within the Dyfed-Powys Police area, Ceredigion had the highest crime rate (91.1 per 1,000) and Powys the lowest (76.4).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceredigion | District | 72,599 | 6,612 | 91.1 |
| Pembrokeshire | District | 125,761 | 11,335 | 90.1 |
| Carmarthenshire | District | 190,800 | 16,483 | 86.4 |
| Powys | District | 135,059 | 10,323 | 76.4 |
Of the 37,453 crimes in the Dyfed-Powys Police area with a recorded outcome, 21% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 7,300 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 16,947 | 45.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 7,684 | 20.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 4,893 | 13.1% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,210 | 5.9% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,662 | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 1,471 | 3.9% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 833 | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 818 | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 287 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 265 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 244 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 133 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
The Dyfed-Powys Police area has an estimated population of 524,219 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (27%, against 19%), fewer households without a car (15%, against 23%) and more retired residents (29%, against 22%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up the Dyfed-Powys Police area average decile 5.6 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | the Dyfed-Powys Police area | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 32.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.6 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 2.9% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is the Dyfed-Powys Police area a safe place to live?
The Dyfed-Powys Police area recorded 85.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 27th of the 41 police force areas on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in the Dyfed-Powys Police area?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 19,848 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (7,300).
Is crime in the Dyfed-Powys Police area going up or down?
Recorded crime in the Dyfed-Powys Police area was up 6% on the year before: 44,753 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 42,232 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of the Dyfed-Powys Police area?
About 524,219 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
How many crimes did the police record in the Dyfed-Powys Police area in the year ending March 2026?
35,875 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 68.4 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 37,885.
Which offences are more common in the Dyfed-Powys Police area than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (42 offences, 2.3 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.