Crime in Merthyr Tydfil: statistics, rates and trends
4,434 crimes were recorded in Merthyr Tydfil in the 12 months to August 2026, 115.4 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Merthyr Tydfil at a glance
- Crime trends in Merthyr Tydfil
- Types of crime in Merthyr Tydfil
- Merthyr Tydfil compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Merthyr Tydfil
- Streets with the most crime in Merthyr Tydfil
- What happened after crimes were reported in Merthyr Tydfil
- Demographics of Merthyr Tydfil
- Questions about crime in Merthyr Tydfil
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,672), anti-social behaviour (537) and shoplifting (487) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 209th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Merthyr Tydfil | Merthyr Tydfil | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 4,434 | 6,454 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 115.4 | 109.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 38,433 | 58,972 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Merthyr Tydfil of any year here (4,434 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 15%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 4,434 | 115.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,493 | 116.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,876 | 126.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,969 | 129.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 4,854 | 126.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 5,374 | 139.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,409 | 140.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 5,033 | 131.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 5,211 | 135.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 454 |
| July 2026 | 426 |
| June 2026 | 399 |
| May 2026 | 382 |
| April 2026 | 364 |
| March 2026 | 330 |
| February 2026 | 298 |
| January 2026 | 397 |
| December 2025 | 317 |
| November 2025 | 336 |
| October 2025 | 398 |
| September 2025 | 333 |
Compared with England and Wales, Merthyr Tydfil recorded notably more public order (80% above the national rate), shoplifting (50% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (44% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (61% below) and robbery (25% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 21 to 39, while other crime fell from 144 to 113 and vehicle crime fell from 246 to 202.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,672 | 43.5 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 537 | 14.0 | 15.4 | -10% |
| Shoplifting | 487 | 12.7 | 8.5 | -10% |
| Public order | 461 | 12.0 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 374 | 9.7 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Other theft | 257 | 6.7 | 6.4 | -7% |
| Vehicle crime | 202 | 5.3 | 5.0 | -18% |
| Burglary | 118 | 3.1 | 3.6 | -13% |
| Drugs | 115 | 3.0 | 3.3 | +4% |
| Other crime | 113 | 2.9 | 2.1 | -22% |
| Robbery | 39 | 1.0 | 1.4 | +86% |
| Possession of weapons | 31 | 0.8 | 1.0 | -14% |
| Theft from the person | 25 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0% |
| Bicycle theft | 3 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Merthyr Tydfil; the highest is Rhymney (183.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Treharris (57.0).
Of the 7 areas within Merthyr Tydfil, Park had the highest crime rate (167.0 per 1,000) and Vaynor the lowest (78.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Neighbourhood | 4,198 | 701 | 167.0 |
| Gurnos | Neighbourhood | 5,419 | 824 | 152.1 |
| Town | Neighbourhood | 7,990 | 1,198 | 149.9 |
| Cyfarthfa | Neighbourhood | 7,398 | 953 | 128.8 |
| Dowlais and Pant | Neighbourhood | 6,657 | 660 | 99.1 |
| Penydarren | Neighbourhood | 5,189 | 435 | 83.8 |
| Vaynor | Neighbourhood | 3,289 | 259 | 78.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 26% of the crime recorded in Merthyr Tydfil over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (391).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 391 |
| On or near John Street | 179 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 109 |
| On or near Coedcae Row | 97 |
| On or near Coffins Row | 85 |
| On or near Post Office Lane | 75 |
| On or near Blackthorn Avenue | 70 |
| On or near Second Avenue | 55 |
| On or near Llys Corona | 51 |
| On or near Broad Street | 49 |
Of the 3,897 crimes in Merthyr Tydfil 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 537 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,353 | 34.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 968 | 24.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 664 | 17.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 402 | 10.3% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 199 | 5.1% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 147 | 3.8% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 109 | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 27 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 16 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 3 | 0.1% | 1.3% |
Merthyr Tydfil has an estimated population of 38,433 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (27%, against 18%), more social housing (25%, against 17%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (25%, against 34%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Merthyr Tydfil average decile 4.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Merthyr Tydfil | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 27.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 59.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 25.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.1 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 26.3% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Merthyr Tydfil a safe place to live?
Merthyr Tydfil recorded 115.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 209th 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 Merthyr Tydfil?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,672 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (537).
Is crime in Merthyr Tydfil going up or down?
Recorded crime in Merthyr Tydfil was down 1% on the year before: 4,434 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,493 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Merthyr Tydfil?
About 38,433 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Merthyr Tydfil?
Merthyr Tydfil 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.