NSW State Safety Rank

3

(1 is safest)

NSW holds the 3rd rank in safety metrics among all Australia states

NSW Crime Map

New South Wales Crime Statistics at a Glance

The chart illustrates the trend in the number of offences that happened in New South Wales over the past 60 months.

60-month trend of criminal incidents across NSW
  • In 2021, there was a 6.2% increase (41752 Incidents) in total criminal incidents compared to the previous year.
  • When considering our safety metrics across all Australian states, New South Wales has been found to rank third. This means that NSW is performing relatively well compared to other states, with only two states ahead of it in terms of overall safety.
  • The number of criminal incidents of Assault decreased by 2.3% (1469 Incidents) from 2020 to 2021.
  • The number of Sexual offences recorded in 2021 decreased by 1.8% (270 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of Homicide offences recorded in 2021 decreased by 28.7% (29 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of Burglary offences recorded in 2021 decreased by 7.8% (2115 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of Theft offences recorded in 2021 decreased by 5.9% (11219 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of Robbery offences recorded in 2021 decreased by 16.9% (357 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of Motor Vehicle Thefts recorded in 2021 decreased by 10.7% (1258 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of Vandalism offences (Property damage) recorded in 2021 decreased by 7.8% (4180 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

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Crime in NSW: An In-Depth Analysis

In the year 2021-22, the police in New South Wales proceeded against 134,571 offenders, which is 22% higher than the previous year. This increase was due to a rise in miscellaneous offences, such as COVID-19-related violations, with 37,221 offenders being charged. The offender rate in New South Wales also increased from 1,542 to 1,892 offenders per 100,000 persons in 2021-22.

The most common principal offence types in New South Wales were miscellaneous offences and acts intended to cause injury, with 28% and 26% of offenders respectively. The offender rate for miscellaneous offences increased from 80 to 523 offenders per 100,000 in 2021-22. However, for all other offence types except acts intended to cause injury, the offender rates remained the same or decreased compared to the previous year.

Illicit drug offences decreased by 18% in New South Wales, with 2,616 fewer offenders charged in 2021-22 than in the previous year. This marks the state’s fourth consecutive annual decrease in illicit drug offences.

As for the gender distribution of offenders, 75% of the offenders in New South Wales were male, with the male offender rate being more than three times that of female offenders. Among youth aged between 10 and 17 years, the offender rate was higher than that of the overall population, with fare evasion and acts intended to cause injury being the most common offences committed.

Finally, 17,469 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders were charged in 2021-22, with more than half having a principal offence of acts intended to cause injury. In terms of police proceedings, there were 238,434 proceedings in total, with over half of them being non-court actions, mainly due to fines issued for COVID-19-related offences.

Looking to understand the various types of criminal offences in New South Wales and make sense of crime data? Check out our NSW crime glossary for easy-to-understand definitions of common criminal offences.

NSW Crime Rate by Offences Division

DivisionNumber of Crimes Crime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)
Crimes against the person122,4691,500
Property and deception offences257,8913,158
Drug offences47,282579
Public order and security offences31,985392
Justice procedures offences80,521986
Other offences176,0632,156
Total716,2118,769

NSW Crimes Against the Person

My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Crime Against the Person

1 in 65

In NSW

1 in 73

In Australia

Crimes Against the Person Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Violent crimes against the person in New South Wales vs Australia

Breakdown of Crimes Against the Person in NSW

NSW population: 8058541

CrimesNSW Total Criminal IncidentsNSW Crime Rate (per 100,000 residents)
Homicide720.88
Assault62,864770
Sexual offences14,650179
Robbery1,76022
Abduction and kidnapping2033
Blackmail and Extortion1272
Intimidation, stalking and harassment40,910501
Other offences against the person1,88323

Here is a breakdown of the major crimes against the person (violent crimes) including the number of offences and NSW crime rates for the selected offences.

CrimesNo. of offencesRate
Murder510.62
Sexual assault7,28389
Sexual touching, sexual act and other sexual offences7,36790
Domestic violence related assault32,133393
Non-domestic violence related assault28,144345

NSW Property and Deception Offences

My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Crime Against the Person

1 in 30

In NSW

1 in 25

In Australia

Property and Deception Offences Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Property offences in New South Wales vs Australia

Breakdown of Property and Deception Offences in NSW

NSW population: 8058541

CrimesNSW Total Criminal IncidentsNSW Crime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)
Theft180,0282,204
Burglary/Break and Enter24,967306
Arson3,76046
Malicious damage to property49,136602

An overview of the major property and deception offences, including NSW crime statistics for each offence type.

CrimesNo. of offencesRate
Motor vehicle theft10,473128
Steal from motor vehicle 27,712339
Steal from retail store17,923219
Break and enter dwelling17,835218
Break and enter non-dwelling7,13287

Drug Offences

Details of Drug Offences in New South Wales

CrimesNSW Total Criminal Incidents NSW Crime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)
Drug use and possession34,03241667
Drug dealing and trafficking6,2937,705
Cultivate or manufacture drugs1,1161,366
Other drug offences5,84172

Public Order and Security Offences

Breakdown of Public Order and Security Offences in NSW

CrimesNSW Total Criminal IncidentsNSW Crime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)
Disorderly conduct17,321212
Prohibited and regulated weapons offences14,664180

NSW Crimes per Square KM

Crimes per square KM in NSW

NSW Crime FAQs

How many murders were in NSW in 2021?

According to the New South Wales Police Force and BOSCAR data, there were 51 murders in NSW in 2021. The number of homicides (which includes murders, attempted murder, murder conspiracy, and manslaughters) was 72.

What’s the most common crime in NSW?

According to the latest available data from the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, the most common type of crime in NSW is Breach bail conditions.

What is the crime rate in NSW?

The overall crime rate in NSW, as measured by the number of reported offences per 100,000 population was 8769 offences per 100,000 population in the year ending December 2021.

However, it’s important to note that this is an aggregate figure that includes all types of crime, and some types of offences are more prevalent than others. Additionally, crime rates can vary by location, with some areas experiencing higher rates of certain types of crime than others.

Is NSW a safe place to live in?

NSW ranks third in overall safety among Australian states. According to BOCSAR, NSW total crime rate in 2021 was 8768. So, NSW is considered a safe and welcoming place to live and visit.

Is NSW safe at night?

39% of crimes in NSW occurs between 6 PM and 6 AM so, it’s fairly safe to walk alone in NSW at night.

What suburb has the highest crime rate in NSW?

Maitland is the suburb with the highest rate of reported criminal incidents in NSW with a rate of 132,955 incidents per 100,000 population, according to BOCSAR’s 2021 data. Yet, Maitland is safer than only 0.7% of NSW suburbs.

What is the safest suburb in NSW?

Green Point (Gosford) is the safest suburb in Sydney with a rate of 15 incidents per 100,000 population as per BOCSAR’s 2021 report. Green Point (Gosford) is safer than 100% of New South Wales suburbs.

However, it’s important to note that low crime rates do not necessarily guarantee safety, and that crime can occur anywhere, so it’s important to always stay vigilant and take appropriate safety measures.

References

  • NSW Police public site
  • NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR).
  • Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census QuickStats for all persons

Greater Capital City Statistical Area

Greater Sydney