Crime in Abertillery: statistics, rates and trends
1,570 crimes were recorded in Abertillery in the 12 months to August 2026, 143.4 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Abertillery at a glance
- Crime trends in Abertillery
- Types of crime in Abertillery
- Abertillery compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Abertillery
- Streets with the most crime in Abertillery
- What happened after crimes were reported in Abertillery
- Demographics of Abertillery
- Questions about crime in Abertillery
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (626), anti-social behaviour (265) and criminal damage and arson (180) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 82nd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Abertillery | Blaenau Gwent | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,570 | 10,078 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 143.4 | 148.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 10,947 | 67,873 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Abertillery peaked in the year to August 2025 (1,680 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (1,086). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 34%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,570 | 143.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,680 | 153.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,658 | 151.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,326 | 121.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,086 | 99.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,086 | 99.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,182 | 108.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,234 | 112.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,169 | 106.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 150 |
| July 2026 | 151 |
| June 2026 | 136 |
| May 2026 | 139 |
| April 2026 | 151 |
| March 2026 | 132 |
| February 2026 | 108 |
| January 2026 | 114 |
| December 2025 | 115 |
| November 2025 | 133 |
| October 2025 | 128 |
| September 2025 | 113 |
Compared with England and Wales, Abertillery recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (2.4 times the national rate), public order (2.4 times the national rate) and possession of weapons (2.1 times the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (52% below) and drugs (25% below). On the year before, other theft rose from 63 to 83, while shoplifting fell from 63 to 44 and anti-social behaviour fell from 332 to 265.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 626 | 57.2 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 265 | 24.2 | 15.4 | -20% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 180 | 16.4 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Public order | 172 | 15.7 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 83 | 7.6 | 6.4 | +32% |
| Vehicle crime | 63 | 5.8 | 5.0 | -5% |
| Burglary | 44 | 4.0 | 3.6 | -12% |
| Shoplifting | 44 | 4.0 | 8.5 | -30% |
| Other crime | 34 | 3.1 | 2.1 | +6% |
| Drugs | 27 | 2.5 | 3.3 | +8% |
| Possession of weapons | 22 | 2.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 8 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Abertillery; the highest is Brynmawr (162.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Oakdale (61.3).
Of the 2 areas within Abertillery, Abertillery and Six Bells had the highest crime rate (150.6 per 1,000) and Cwmtillery the lowest (132.8).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abertillery and Six Bells | Neighbourhood | 6,541 | 985 | 150.6 |
| Cwmtillery | Neighbourhood | 4,406 | 585 | 132.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 39% of the crime recorded in Abertillery over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (201).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 201 |
| On or near Commercial Street | 63 |
| On or near Supermarket | 61 |
| On or near High Street | 51 |
| On or near Cefn Crescent | 41 |
| On or near Church Street | 41 |
| On or near Valley View Road | 41 |
| On or near Barker Avenue | 40 |
| On or near Market Street | 35 |
| On or near Somerset Street | 33 |
Of the 1,305 crimes in Abertillery with a recorded outcome, 24% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 2.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 265 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 590 | 45.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 311 | 23.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 227 | 17.4% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 64 | 4.9% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 42 | 3.2% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 27 | 2.1% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 13 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 13 | 1.0% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
Abertillery has an estimated population of 10,947 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (29%, against 18%), fewer students (4.7%, against 7.9%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (21%, against 34%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Abertillery average decile 3.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Abertillery | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 20.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 28.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 24.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.2 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 13.8% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Abertillery a safe place to live?
Abertillery recorded 143.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 82nd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson and public order.
What is the most common crime in Abertillery?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 626 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (265).
Is crime in Abertillery going up or down?
Recorded crime in Abertillery was down 7% on the year before: 1,570 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,680 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Abertillery?
About 10,947 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Abertillery?
Abertillery is policed by Gwent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.