Crime in Aberystwyth
Recorded crime in Aberystwyth is 2.2 times the Ceredigion average and 1.8 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 33%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Aberystwyth: about 10,467 residents in 11 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 9.3/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- −33%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 2.2×the Ceredigion average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Aberystwyth.
Crime over 5 years
Down 33% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Aberystwyth, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 2.2× the Ceredigion average (1.8× the England and Wales average). 145 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 69% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Drugs: 10% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 69% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 38 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Ceredigion (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Ceredigion council area, not only Aberystwyth. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
Dyfed-Powys Police did not assign 7.6% of the crimes it recorded in 2025/26 to a council area, so these figures are lower than the true count.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 25 | 0.34 | Up 47% |
| Cars broken into | 26 | 0.36 | Down 7% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 243 | 3.3 | Down 29% |
| Burglary of homes | 72 | 0.99 | Down 23% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in SY23
In SY23, the postcode district at the centre of Aberystwyth, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 1,131 | 8% | 6% | 68% | 9% | 8% |
| Drugs | 259 | 7% | 74% | 12% | 2% | 7% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 229 | 10% | 5% | 30% | 45% | 10% |
| Public order | 217 | 6% | 2% | 55% | 28% | 9% |
| Other theft | 179 | 1% | 2% | 36% | 50% | 10% |
| Shoplifting | 134 | 10% | 6% | 33% | 49% | 3% |
| Burglary | 84 | 7% | 6% | 29% | 54% | 5% |
| Other crime | 66 | 12% | 11% | 64% | 9% | 5% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 8% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.5 |
| Burglary | 6.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 64.3 |
| Drugs | 13.0 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.7 |
| Other crime | 2.3 |
| Other theft | 10.0 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 16.0 |
| Public order | 16.2 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.9 |
| Shoplifting | 11.9 |
Postcode districts in Aberystwyth
Nearby towns
Council: Ceredigion
Questions about crime in Aberystwyth
- Is Aberystwyth a safe place to live?
- Aberystwyth scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 2.2 times the Ceredigion average.
- Is crime going up or down in Aberystwyth?
- Down 33% over 5 years, from 2,053 recorded crimes a year to 1,374.
- What is the most common crime in Aberystwyth?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 64 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Aberystwyth compare with Ceredigion?
- Crime severity in Aberystwyth is 2.2 times the Ceredigion average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Aberystwyth?
- In SY23, the postcode district at the centre of Aberystwyth, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 21% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Aberystwyth?
- Of 84 burglaries reported in SY23, the postcode district at the centre of Aberystwyth between September 2024 and August 2025, 7% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 54% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Aberystwyth?
- In Ceredigion, the council area Aberystwyth is in, the police recorded 25 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.3 per 1,000 residents, up 47% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Aberystwyth?
- 243 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Ceredigion, the council area Aberystwyth is in, 3.3 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Aberystwyth last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in Ceredigion, the council area Aberystwyth is in, against 0 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.