Crime in Porthcawl: statistics, rates and trends
1,291 crimes were recorded in Porthcawl in the 12 months to August 2026, 79.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Porthcawl at a glance
- Crime trends in Porthcawl
- Types of crime in Porthcawl
- Porthcawl compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Porthcawl
- Streets with the most crime in Porthcawl
- What happened after crimes were reported in Porthcawl
- Demographics of Porthcawl
- Questions about crime in Porthcawl
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (510), shoplifting (167) and anti-social behaviour (152) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 623rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Porthcawl | Bridgend | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,291 | 12,487 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 79.4 | 84.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +6% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 16,268 | 147,530 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Porthcawl peaked in the year to August 2021 (1,410 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (1,090). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 3%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,291 | 79.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,214 | 74.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,366 | 84.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,090 | 67.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,192 | 73.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,410 | 86.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,328 | 81.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,353 | 83.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,250 | 76.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 140 |
| July 2026 | 124 |
| June 2026 | 116 |
| May 2026 | 116 |
| April 2026 | 83 |
| March 2026 | 98 |
| February 2026 | 84 |
| January 2026 | 92 |
| December 2025 | 101 |
| November 2025 | 121 |
| October 2025 | 99 |
| September 2025 | 117 |
Compared with England and Wales, Porthcawl recorded notably more public order (25% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (54% below) and drugs (44% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 22 to 37 and shoplifting rose from 105 to 167, while anti-social behaviour fell from 197 to 152.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 510 | 31.3 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Shoplifting | 167 | 10.3 | 8.5 | +59% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 152 | 9.3 | 15.4 | -23% |
| Public order | 136 | 8.4 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 95 | 5.8 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Other theft | 62 | 3.8 | 6.4 | -7% |
| Burglary | 42 | 2.6 | 3.6 | +31% |
| Vehicle crime | 37 | 2.3 | 5.0 | +68% |
| Drugs | 30 | 1.8 | 3.3 | -14% |
| Other crime | 22 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -4% |
| Possession of weapons | 17 | 1.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 11 | 0.7 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Robbery | 7 | 0.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 3 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Porthcawl; the highest is Port Talbot (113.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Cwmavon (53.0).
Of the 5 areas within Porthcawl, Porthcawl East Central had the highest crime rate (133.7 per 1,000) and Rest Bay the lowest (16.4), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porthcawl East Central | Neighbourhood | 5,185 | 693 | 133.7 |
| Newton | Neighbourhood | 3,747 | 339 | 90.5 |
| Porthcawl West Central | Neighbourhood | 1,609 | 128 | 79.6 |
| Nottage | Neighbourhood | 3,281 | 91 | 27.7 |
| Rest Bay | Neighbourhood | 2,446 | 40 | 16.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 43% of the crime recorded in Porthcawl over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (200).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 200 |
| On or near Parking Area | 106 |
| On or near St Anne'S Crescent | 65 |
| On or near Suffolk Close | 48 |
| On or near Clevis Hill | 27 |
| On or near John Street | 26 |
| On or near Poplar Crescent | 25 |
| On or near Sandy Lane | 23 |
| On or near Wellfield Avenue | 21 |
| On or near Cae Ganol | 20 |
Of the 1,139 crimes in Porthcawl with a recorded outcome, 23% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 9.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 152 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 365 | 32.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 264 | 23.2% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 215 | 18.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 102 | 9.0% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 66 | 5.8% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 65 | 5.7% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 35 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 12 | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 5 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Porthcawl has an estimated population of 16,268 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (35%, against 19%), more retired residents (37%, against 22%) and less social housing (5.8%, against 17.1%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Porthcawl average decile 7.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Porthcawl | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 12.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 34.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 45.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 37.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 36.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 77.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 5.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.7 | 5.5 (Wales) |
Is Porthcawl a safe place to live?
Porthcawl recorded 79.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 623rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order.
What is the most common crime in Porthcawl?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 510 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (167).
Is crime in Porthcawl going up or down?
Recorded crime in Porthcawl was up 6% on the year before: 1,291 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,214 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Porthcawl?
About 16,268 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 35% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Porthcawl?
Porthcawl 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.