Crime in Bridgend: statistics, rates and trends
5,105 crimes were recorded in Bridgend in the 12 months to August 2026, 97.5 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Bridgend at a glance
- Crime trends in Bridgend
- Types of crime in Bridgend
- Bridgend compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Bridgend
- Streets with the most crime in Bridgend
- What happened after crimes were reported in Bridgend
- Demographics of Bridgend
- Questions about crime in Bridgend
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,067), anti-social behaviour (748) and public order (633) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 389th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Bridgend | Bridgend | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,105 | 12,487 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 97.5 | 84.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +9% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 52,366 | 147,530 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Bridgend peaked in the year to August 2020 (5,598 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (4,352). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 8%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,105 | 97.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,686 | 89.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 5,036 | 96.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,778 | 91.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 4,352 | 83.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,956 | 94.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,598 | 106.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 5,116 | 97.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 4,741 | 90.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 507 |
| July 2026 | 537 |
| June 2026 | 465 |
| May 2026 | 408 |
| April 2026 | 425 |
| March 2026 | 409 |
| February 2026 | 368 |
| January 2026 | 367 |
| December 2025 | 358 |
| November 2025 | 399 |
| October 2025 | 477 |
| September 2025 | 385 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bridgend recorded notably more public order (81% above the national rate) and other crime (35% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (59% below) and burglary (56% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 20 to 44 and shoplifting rose from 341 to 461, while bicycle theft fell from 25 to 20 and other crime fell from 180 to 149.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,067 | 39.5 | 34.2 | +13% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 748 | 14.3 | 15.4 | +8% |
| Public order | 633 | 12.1 | 6.7 | +13% |
| Shoplifting | 461 | 8.8 | 8.5 | +35% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 318 | 6.1 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Other theft | 222 | 4.2 | 6.4 | +3% |
| Drugs | 197 | 3.8 | 3.3 | -11% |
| Other crime | 149 | 2.8 | 2.1 | -17% |
| Vehicle crime | 106 | 2.0 | 5.0 | -5% |
| Burglary | 82 | 1.6 | 3.6 | +14% |
| Robbery | 44 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +120% |
| Possession of weapons | 40 | 0.8 | 1.0 | -7% |
| Bicycle theft | 20 | 0.4 | 0.8 | -20% |
| Theft from the person | 18 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Bridgend; the highest is Maesteg (99.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Pontyclun (38.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bridgend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarn | 1,120 | 88.4 | -9% |
| Pencoed | 591 | 59.4 | -39% |
| Pyle | 1,193 | 80.4 | -18% |
| Porthcawl | 1,291 | 79.4 | -19% |
| Llanharan and Brynna | 781 | 89.6 | -8% |
| Maesteg | 1,833 | 99.0 | +2% |
| Tonyrefail | 889 | 89.5 | -8% |
| Pontyclun | 200 | 38.9 | -60% |
Of the 9 areas within Bridgend, Bridgend Central had the highest crime rate (185.6 per 1,000) and Cefn-glas the lowest (42.0), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgend Central | Neighbourhood | 10,610 | 1,969 | 185.6 |
| Oldcastle | Neighbourhood | 5,240 | 790 | 150.8 |
| Brackla West | Neighbourhood | 2,665 | 311 | 116.7 |
| Brackla East and Coychurch Lower | Neighbourhood | 4,125 | 371 | 89.9 |
| Coity Higher | Neighbourhood | 13,050 | 909 | 69.7 |
| Brackla West Central | Neighbourhood | 1,378 | 73 | 53.0 |
| Brackla East Central | Neighbourhood | 3,811 | 186 | 48.8 |
| Bryntirion, Laleston and Merthyr Mawr | Neighbourhood | 9,210 | 423 | 45.9 |
| Cefn-glas | Neighbourhood | 4,099 | 172 | 42.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in Bridgend over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (277).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 277 |
| On or near Prison | 213 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 187 |
| On or near Market Street | 154 |
| On or near Supermarket | 123 |
| On or near Dunraven Place | 122 |
| On or near Llys Gwyn | 121 |
| On or near Western Avenue | 108 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 97 |
| On or near St Francis Road | 73 |
Of the 4,357 crimes in Bridgend with a recorded outcome, 20% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 748 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,542 | 35.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 883 | 20.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 867 | 19.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 360 | 8.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 267 | 6.1% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 198 | 4.5% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 104 | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 45 | 1.0% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 32 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 30 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 16 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 13 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Bridgend has an estimated population of 52,366 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%), fewer students (5.6%, against 7.9%) and less private renting (15%, against 20%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bridgend average decile 7.0 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Bridgend | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 34.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.0 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 5.2% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Bridgend a safe place to live?
Bridgend recorded 97.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 389th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Bridgend?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,067 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (748).
Is crime in Bridgend going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bridgend was up 9% on the year before: 5,105 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,686 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bridgend?
About 52,366 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bridgend?
Bridgend 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.