Crime in Swansea: statistics, rates and trends
18,240 crimes were recorded in Swansea in the 12 months to August 2026, 100.6 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (6,965), public order (2,113) and shoplifting (2,050) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 340th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Swansea | Swansea | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 18,240 | 21,732 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 100.6 | 86.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -5% | -1% |
| Population | 181,303 | 251,304 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Swansea of any year here (18,240 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 16%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 18,240 | 100.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 19,037 | 105.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 19,890 | 109.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 19,330 | 106.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 18,394 | 101.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 21,095 | 116.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 21,359 | 117.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 21,227 | 117.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 21,747 | 119.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,711 |
| July 2026 | 1,697 |
| June 2026 | 1,635 |
| May 2026 | 1,605 |
| April 2026 | 1,546 |
| March 2026 | 1,542 |
| February 2026 | 1,338 |
| January 2026 | 1,400 |
| December 2025 | 1,337 |
| November 2025 | 1,457 |
| October 2025 | 1,614 |
| September 2025 | 1,358 |
Compared with England and Wales, Swansea recorded notably more public order (75% above the national rate), shoplifting (34% above the national rate) and drugs (30% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (60% below) and robbery (47% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 79 to 130 and possession of weapons rose from 172 to 211, while anti-social behaviour fell from 2,503 to 2,000.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 6,965 | 38.4 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Public order | 2,113 | 11.7 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Shoplifting | 2,050 | 11.3 | 8.5 | -6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,000 | 11.0 | 15.4 | -20% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,312 | 7.2 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Other theft | 909 | 5.0 | 6.4 | -11% |
| Drugs | 774 | 4.3 | 3.3 | -11% |
| Vehicle crime | 704 | 3.9 | 5.0 | -14% |
| Other crime | 438 | 2.4 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Burglary | 379 | 2.1 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Possession of weapons | 211 | 1.2 | 1.0 | +23% |
| Bicycle theft | 134 | 0.7 | 0.8 | -7% |
| Robbery | 130 | 0.7 | 1.4 | +65% |
| Theft from the person | 121 | 0.7 | 1.7 | +1% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Swansea; the highest is Port Talbot (113.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Loughor (42.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Swansea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gowerton | 523 | 64.2 | -36% |
| Gorseinon | 778 | 57.3 | -43% |
| Loughor | 241 | 42.8 | -57% |
| Clydach (Swansea) | 543 | 74.1 | -26% |
| Baglan | 969 | 76.6 | -24% |
| Neath | 3,557 | 92.3 | -8% |
| Pontarddulais | 341 | 50.0 | -50% |
| Port Talbot | 3,370 | 113.9 | +13% |
Of the 20 areas within Swansea, Castle had the highest crime rate (340.7 per 1,000) and Dunvant and Killay the lowest (25.7), 13 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | Neighbourhood | 14,842 | 5,056 | 340.7 |
| Waterfront | Neighbourhood | 5,263 | 1,319 | 250.6 |
| Penderry | Neighbourhood | 12,311 | 1,358 | 110.3 |
| Townhill | Neighbourhood | 9,320 | 912 | 97.9 |
| Morriston | Neighbourhood | 16,873 | 1,598 | 94.7 |
| Cockett | Neighbourhood | 10,357 | 967 | 93.4 |
| Bôn-y-maen | Neighbourhood | 7,853 | 645 | 82.1 |
| Landore | Neighbourhood | 8,029 | 658 | 82.0 |
| Mynydd-bach | Neighbourhood | 9,246 | 723 | 78.2 |
| Uplands | Neighbourhood | 15,889 | 1,202 | 75.6 |
| West Cross | Neighbourhood | 6,471 | 461 | 71.2 |
| Cwmbwrla | Neighbourhood | 7,778 | 526 | 67.6 |
| Llansamlet | Neighbourhood | 15,213 | 1,024 | 67.3 |
| St Thomas | Neighbourhood | 7,365 | 495 | 67.2 |
| Sketty | Neighbourhood | 15,492 | 794 | 51.3 |
| Coedffranc West | Neighbourhood | 5,799 | 257 | 44.3 |
| Llangyfelach | Neighbourhood | 1,478 | 65 | 44.0 |
| Mumbles | Neighbourhood | 7,359 | 316 | 42.9 |
| Mayals | Neighbourhood | 2,600 | 69 | 26.5 |
| Dunvant and Killay | Neighbourhood | 9,189 | 236 | 25.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 19% of the crime recorded in Swansea over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,132).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,132 |
| On or near Nightclub | 567 |
| On or near Supermarket | 430 |
| On or near Mount Pleasant Drive | 248 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 235 |
| On or near Castle Square | 198 |
| On or near Morriston Hospital | 195 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 195 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 167 |
| On or near Green Dragon Lane | 160 |
Of the 16,240 crimes in Swansea with a recorded outcome, 27% 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 2,000 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,435 | 33.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 4,388 | 27.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 2,732 | 16.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,351 | 8.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 847 | 5.2% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 789 | 4.9% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 323 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 217 | 1.3% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 85 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 40 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 32 | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 1 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Swansea has an estimated population of 181,303 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (15.1%, against 7.9%) and more social housing (22%, against 17%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Swansea average decile 5.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Swansea | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 48.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 15.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 26.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.4 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 16.8% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Swansea a safe place to live?
Swansea recorded 100.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 340th 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 Swansea?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 6,965 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by public order (2,113).
Is crime in Swansea going up or down?
Recorded crime in Swansea was down 4% on the year before: 18,240 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 19,037 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Swansea?
About 181,303 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Swansea?
Swansea 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.