Crime in Cardiff
Recorded crime in Cardiff is 1.4 times the Cardiff council average and 1.4 times the England and Wales average. It is about the same as 5 years ago. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Cardiff: about 147,727 residents in 93 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 8.0/10Good
- 5-year change
- +1%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Cardiff council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Cardiff.
Crime over 5 years
About the same as 5 years ago Recorded crimes within 3 km of Cardiff, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Cardiff council average (1.4× the England and Wales average). 138 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 55% of the harm here
- Burglary: 15% of the harm here
- Robbery: 6% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 32 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Cardiff (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Cardiff council area, not only the city of Cardiff. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 698 | 1.8 | Down 28% |
| Cars broken into | 1,758 | 4.6 | Down 14% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 2,646 | 6.9 | About the same |
| Burglary of homes | 549 | 1.4 | Down 21% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 6 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in CF10
In CF10, the postcode district at the centre of Cardiff, 19% 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) | 2,619 | 16% | 5% | 49% | 26% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 1,514 | 33% | 2% | 17% | 47% | 1% |
| Public order | 875 | 19% | 2% | 43% | 31% | 6% |
| Other theft | 570 | 2% | 1% | 16% | 79% | 2% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 378 | 16% | 3% | 24% | 56% | 1% |
| Drugs | 342 | 37% | 9% | 37% | 7% | 9% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 318 | 4% | 0% | 7% | 88% | 1% |
| Bicycle theft | 289 | 3% | 0% | 8% | 89% | 0% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 207 | 0% | 0% | 10% | 89% | 0% |
| Burglary | 195 | 18% | 0% | 13% | 66% | 3% |
| Other crime | 110 | 27% | 9% | 36% | 17% | 10% |
| Robbery | 102 | 25% | 1% | 35% | 36% | 2% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 75 | 37% | 8% | 35% | 13% | 7% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 3% 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 | 1.4 |
| Burglary | 7.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 40.5 |
| Drugs | 6.0 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.1 |
| Other crime | 2.1 |
| Other theft | 11.5 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 2.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 13.4 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 12.2 |
| Public order | 14.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 6.2 |
| Shoplifting | 18.8 |
Postcode districts in Cardiff
Nearby towns
Council: Cardiff
Questions about crime in Cardiff
- Is Cardiff a safe place to live?
- Cardiff scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Cardiff council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Cardiff?
- About the same as 5 years ago: 20,376 recorded crimes a year then, 20,668 now.
- What is the most common crime in Cardiff?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 40 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Cardiff compare with Cardiff council?
- Crime severity in Cardiff is 1.4 times the Cardiff council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Cardiff?
- In CF10, the postcode district at the centre of Cardiff, 19% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 43% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Cardiff?
- Of 195 burglaries reported in CF10, the postcode district at the centre of Cardiff between September 2024 and August 2025, 18% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 66% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Cardiff?
- In the Cardiff council area, the police recorded 698 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.8 per 1,000 residents, down 28% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Cardiff?
- 2,646 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Cardiff council area, 6.9 per 1,000 residents, 1.4 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Cardiff last year?
- 6 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Cardiff council area, against 6 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.