Crime in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan): statistics, rates and trends
5,851 crimes were recorded in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) in the 12 months to August 2026, 99.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) at a glance
- Crime trends in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)
- Types of crime in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)
- Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)
- Streets with the most crime in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)
- What happened after crimes were reported in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)
- Demographics of Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)
- Questions about crime in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,193), shoplifting (860) and public order (683) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 351st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) | Vale of Glamorgan | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,851 | 9,926 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 99.7 | 73.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 58,687 | 135,743 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) peaked in the year to August 2021 (6,561 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (5,584). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 5%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,851 | 99.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,945 | 101.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 6,227 | 106.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,990 | 102.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,584 | 95.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,561 | 111.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 6,535 | 111.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 6,182 | 105.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 6,139 | 104.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 556 |
| July 2026 | 547 |
| June 2026 | 573 |
| May 2026 | 540 |
| April 2026 | 526 |
| March 2026 | 462 |
| February 2026 | 374 |
| January 2026 | 425 |
| December 2025 | 399 |
| November 2025 | 494 |
| October 2025 | 497 |
| September 2025 | 458 |
Compared with England and Wales, Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) recorded notably more public order (75% above the national rate) and shoplifting (73% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (71% below) and burglary (48% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 32 to 61, while drugs fell from 189 to 130 and burglary fell from 145 to 108.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,193 | 37.4 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Shoplifting | 860 | 14.7 | 8.5 | +8% |
| Public order | 683 | 11.6 | 6.7 | +12% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 596 | 10.2 | 15.4 | -22% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 434 | 7.4 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Other theft | 296 | 5.0 | 6.4 | +9% |
| Vehicle crime | 249 | 4.2 | 5.0 | -14% |
| Other crime | 142 | 2.4 | 2.1 | +8% |
| Drugs | 130 | 2.2 | 3.3 | -31% |
| Burglary | 108 | 1.8 | 3.6 | -26% |
| Robbery | 61 | 1.0 | 1.4 | +91% |
| Possession of weapons | 55 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +4% |
| Theft from the person | 29 | 0.5 | 1.7 | +7% |
| Bicycle theft | 15 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Barry (Vale of Glamorgan); the highest is Cardiff (113.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Pontyclun (38.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinas Powis | 362 | 43.2 | -57% |
| Rhoose | 310 | 40.7 | -59% |
| Penarth | 1,673 | 59.6 | -40% |
| Cardiff | 41,320 | 113.9 | +14% |
| Pontyclun | 200 | 38.9 | -61% |
| Beddau | 562 | 73.5 | -26% |
| Church Village | 574 | 39.7 | -60% |
| Llanharan and Brynna | 781 | 89.6 | -10% |
Of the 9 areas within Barry (Vale of Glamorgan), Castleland had the highest crime rate (195.6 per 1,000) and Dyfan the lowest (42.3), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castleland | Neighbourhood | 5,331 | 1,043 | 195.6 |
| Buttrills | Neighbourhood | 6,358 | 1,103 | 173.5 |
| Court | Neighbourhood | 4,916 | 530 | 107.8 |
| Gibbonsdown | Neighbourhood | 5,560 | 544 | 97.8 |
| Cadoc | Neighbourhood | 10,007 | 970 | 96.9 |
| Illtyd | Neighbourhood | 7,875 | 612 | 77.7 |
| Baruc | Neighbourhood | 9,160 | 635 | 69.3 |
| Sully | Neighbourhood | 5,048 | 245 | 48.5 |
| Dyfan | Neighbourhood | 5,508 | 233 | 42.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 22% of the crime recorded in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Heol Gwendoline” (208).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Heol Gwendoline | 208 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 190 |
| On or near Llantwit Street | 162 |
| On or near Kendrick Road | 155 |
| On or near Parking Area | 146 |
| On or near Supermarket | 104 |
| On or near Llanover Street | 86 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 79 |
| On or near Baird Rise | 78 |
| On or near Merganser Court | 61 |
Of the 5,255 crimes in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) with a recorded outcome, 25% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 10% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 596 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,065 | 39.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,296 | 24.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 710 | 13.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 550 | 10.5% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 207 | 3.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 190 | 3.6% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 104 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 71 | 1.4% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 29 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 22 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 7 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 4 | 0.1% | 1.3% |
Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) has an estimated population of 58,687 (ONS, mid-2024). On the Census 2021 measures below it is close to England and Wales as a whole. On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) average decile 5.1 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.1 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 19.2% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) a safe place to live?
Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) recorded 99.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 351st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,193 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (860).
Is crime in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) going up or down?
Recorded crime in Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) was down 2% on the year before: 5,851 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,945 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)?
About 58,687 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)?
Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) 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.