Crime in the Gwent Police area: statistics, rates and trends
71,512 crimes were recorded in the Gwent Police area in the 12 months to August 2026, 118.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in the Gwent Police area at a glance
- Crime trends in the Gwent Police area
- Types of crime in the Gwent Police area
- Home Office recorded crime in the Gwent Police area
- The Gwent Police area compared with nearby police force areas
- Areas within the Gwent Police area
- What happened after crimes were reported in the Gwent Police area
- Demographics of the Gwent Police area
- Questions about crime in the Gwent Police area
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (25,445), anti-social behaviour (13,299) and public order (7,433) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 6th of the 41 police force areas covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | the Gwent Police area | Wales | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 71,512 | 306,958 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 118.9 | 96.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 601,686 | 3,186,581 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in the Gwent Police area of any year here (71,512 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 21%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 71,512 | 118.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 69,791 | 116.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 70,065 | 116.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 61,241 | 101.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 59,430 | 98.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 61,280 | 101.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 66,171 | 110.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 59,429 | 98.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 58,978 | 98.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 7,010 |
| July 2026 | 7,313 |
| June 2026 | 6,206 |
| May 2026 | 6,133 |
| April 2026 | 6,084 |
| March 2026 | 6,022 |
| February 2026 | 5,185 |
| January 2026 | 5,450 |
| December 2025 | 5,308 |
| November 2025 | 5,556 |
| October 2025 | 5,713 |
| September 2025 | 5,532 |
Compared with England and Wales, the Gwent Police area recorded notably more public order (85% above the national rate), criminal damage and arson (73% above the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (44% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (88% below) and bicycle theft (54% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 2,436 to 3,158 and robbery rose from 360 to 447, while theft from the person fell from 184 to 124.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 25,445 | 42.3 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 13,299 | 22.1 | 15.4 | +5% |
| Public order | 7,433 | 12.4 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7,008 | 11.6 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Shoplifting | 4,347 | 7.2 | 8.5 | -1% |
| Other theft | 3,410 | 5.7 | 6.4 | -8% |
| Vehicle crime | 3,158 | 5.2 | 5.0 | +30% |
| Burglary | 2,498 | 4.2 | 3.6 | +21% |
| Other crime | 1,822 | 3.0 | 2.1 | +1% |
| Drugs | 1,588 | 2.6 | 3.3 | -4% |
| Possession of weapons | 707 | 1.2 | 1.0 | +16% |
| Robbery | 447 | 0.7 | 1.4 | +24% |
| Bicycle theft | 226 | 0.4 | 0.8 | -12% |
| Theft from the person | 124 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -33% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
56,970 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in the Gwent Police area in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 94.7 per 1,000 residents, close to the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was down 1% on the year ending March 2025 (57,822), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 43 territorial police force areas of England and Wales, the Gwent Police area had the 10th highest 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 Gwent Police area, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was stalking and harassment, with 8,339 offences (15% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for arson (4.2 times the national rate), public order offences (1.7 times the national rate) and miscellaneous crimes against society (1.6 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.13 times), robbery of business property (0.35 times) and bicycle theft (0.45 times).
The largest rises on the year were in arson (+58%) and possession of weapons (+17%). The largest falls were in theft from the person (−21%) and bicycle theft (−16%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stalking and harassment | 8,339 | 13.9 | 10.1 | 1.37 | −0% |
| Violence without injury | 8,269 | 13.7 | 13.2 | 1.04 | −1% |
| Public order offences | 7,188 | 11.9 | 7.0 | 1.72 | −2% |
| Criminal damage | 6,001 | 10.0 | 6.8 | 1.46 | −4% |
| Violence with injury | 5,806 | 9.6 | 8.1 | 1.19 | −6% |
| Shoplifting | 4,246 | 7.1 | 8.1 | 0.87 | – |
| Other theft offences | 3,439 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 0.87 | −6% |
| Vehicle offences | 2,865 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 0.95 | +3% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 2,053 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 1.63 | +13% |
| Residential burglary | 1,603 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 1.07 | +9% |
| Other sexual offences | 1,564 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 1.14 | +13% |
| Possession of drugs | 1,175 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 0.78 | +12% |
| Arson | 965 | 1.6 | 0.38 | 4.22 | +58% |
| Rape | 774 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.06 | +13% |
| Non-residential burglary | 698 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.04 | −11% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 648 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.91 | −15% |
| Possession of weapons | 533 | 0.89 | 1.00 | 0.89 | +17% |
| Robbery of personal property | 327 | 0.54 | 0.91 | 0.60 | +16% |
| Bicycle theft | 230 | 0.38 | 0.85 | 0.45 | −16% |
| Theft from the person | 137 | 0.23 | 1.8 | 0.13 | −21% |
| Robbery of business property | 100 | 0.17 | 0.47 | 0.35 | – |
| Homicide | 6 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 1.24 | +100% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 4 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.19 | −50% |
Recorded crime in the Gwent 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 Gwent Police area's rate was above the England and Wales rate in 12 of those 14 years and below it in 2. 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 | 56,970 | 94.7 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 57,822 | 96.1 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 56,324 | 93.6 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 58,366 | 97.0 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 53,554 | 89.0 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 47,922 | 79.6 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 56,643 | 94.1 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 58,486 | 97.2 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 48,817 | 81.1 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 41,036 | 68.2 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 37,639 | 62.6 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 36,490 | 60.6 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 35,397 | 58.8 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 33,917 | 56.4 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Gwent Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 5 districts in the Gwent Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Blaenau Gwent had the highest rate (114.5 per 1,000) and Monmouthshire the lowest (64.2).
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaenau Gwent | 7,772 | 114.5 | 1.38 |
| Newport | 18,370 | 109.4 | 1.31 |
| Torfaen | 9,645 | 102.5 | 1.23 |
| Caerphilly | 15,093 | 85.3 | 1.03 |
| Monmouthshire | 6,090 | 64.2 | 0.77 |
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.
The Gwent Police area has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest police force areas.
| Police force area | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs the Gwent Police area |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Wales | 126,013 | 92.4 | -22% |
| Avon and Somerset | 188,310 | 103.8 | -13% |
| Dyfed-Powys | 44,753 | 85.4 | -28% |
| Wiltshire | 51,659 | 67.3 | -43% |
| West Mercia | 96,831 | 72.2 | -39% |
| Dorset | 57,002 | 71.3 | -40% |
| West Midlands | 323,754 | 106.6 | -10% |
| Warwickshire | 51,630 | 81.7 | -31% |
Of the 5 areas within the Gwent Police area, Blaenau Gwent had the highest crime rate (148.5 per 1,000) and Monmouthshire the lowest (80.3).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blaenau Gwent | District | 67,873 | 10,078 | 148.5 |
| Newport | District | 167,899 | 23,166 | 138.0 |
| Torfaen | District | 94,119 | 11,756 | 124.9 |
| Caerphilly | District | 176,865 | 18,886 | 106.8 |
| Monmouthshire | District | 94,930 | 7,626 | 80.3 |
Of the 58,213 crimes in the Gwent Police area with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 13,299 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 21,873 | 37.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 15,916 | 27.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 10,659 | 18.3% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,905 | 5.0% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,262 | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 1,762 | 3.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,272 | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 591 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 405 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 233 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 186 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 140 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
The Gwent Police area has an estimated population of 601,686 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (14%, against 20%), fewer students (5.7%, against 7.9%) and more residents with no qualifications (22%, against 18%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up the Gwent Police area average decile 5.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | the Gwent Police area | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.2 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 11.4% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is the Gwent Police area a safe place to live?
The Gwent Police area recorded 118.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 6th of the 41 police force areas on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order and criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in the Gwent Police area?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 25,445 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (13,299).
Is crime in the Gwent Police area going up or down?
Recorded crime in the Gwent Police area was up 2% on the year before: 71,512 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 69,791 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of the Gwent Police area?
About 601,686 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
How many crimes did the police record in the Gwent Police area in the year ending March 2026?
56,970 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 94.7 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 57,822.
Which offences are more common in the Gwent Police area than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were arson (965 offences, 4.2 times the England and Wales rate), public order offences (7,188 offences, 1.7 times the England and Wales rate) and miscellaneous crimes against society (2,053 offences, 1.6 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.