Swansea Crime Overview
Swansea is the most dangerous city in West Glamorgan, and is the 29th safest overall out of West Glamorgan's 70 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Swansea in 2020 was 36 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to West Glamorgan's overall crime rate, coming in 97% lower than the West Glamorgan rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Swansea is the safest city, and the 5,232nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Swansea had the worst crime rate in West Glamorgan for burglary, with 26 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.14 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Swansea residents, when it was West Glamorgan's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 55 crimes at a rate of 0.30 per 1,000 residents. Swansea recorded 5 reports of bicycle theft during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.03 the worst for bicycle theft in West Glamorgan that month.
The most common crimes in Swansea are violence and sexual offences, with 2,570 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 14. This is 3.9% lower than 2019's figure of 2,669 offences and a difference of 0.53 from 2019's crime rate of 14. Swansea's least common crime is robbery, with 37 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 62% from 2019's figure of 60 crimes.
Compare Swansea to other towns and cities
See how Swansea shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Swansea and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Swansea Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Swansea This Year
| Swansea | West Glamorgan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,850 | 15.37 | 12,973 | 33.24 | 116% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 90 | 0.49 | 273 | 0.70 | 43% safer |
| Burglary | 363 | 1.96 | 1,409 | 3.61 | 84% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 715 | 3.86 | 3,109 | 7.97 | 106% safer |
| Drugs | 336 | 1.81 | 1,377 | 3.53 | 95% safer |
| Other Crime | 119 | 0.64 | 559 | 1.43 | 123% safer |
| Other Theft | 542 | 2.92 | 2,037 | 5.22 | 79% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 39 | 0.21 | 222 | 0.57 | 171% safer |
| Public Order | 812 | 4.38 | 3,594 | 9.21 | 110% safer |
| Robbery | 37 | 0.20 | 152 | 0.39 | 95% safer |
| Shoplifting | 456 | 2.46 | 1,611 | 4.13 | 68% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 40 | 0.22 | 172 | 0.44 | 100% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 506 | 2.73 | 1,683 | 4.31 | 58% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,570 | 13.86 | 11,288 | 28.92 | 109% safer |
Crime in Swansea Compared To West Glamorgan
Swansea Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 14 | 11 | 9 | 15 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.58 | 0.49 | 0.39 | 0.49 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 5 | 5 | 4.4 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.59 | 0.54 | 0.71 | 0.64 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.25 | 0.16 | 0.29 | 0.21 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.4 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.23 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.20 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.41 | 0.42 | 0.30 | 0.22 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | Getting worse |
Changes In Swansea's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Swansea to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Swansea | 35.72 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 47% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 54% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 57% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 58% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 59% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 63% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 65% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 67% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 73% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 74% more dangerous |
Crime in Swansea During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Swansea change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Swansea saw a 207% increase in anti-social behaviour. Swansea saw a large fall in possession of weapons during April, when it fell by 71% compared to April in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Swansea's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -22% | +207% | +144% | +117% | +48% | -5% | +54% | +95% | +190% | +106% |
| Bicycle Theft | -14% | - | +167% | +29% | +11% | +183% | +33% | +40% | -17% | +25% |
| Burglary | -36% | -19% | +4% | -19% | +14% | +5% | +52% | -55% | -44% | -21% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -14% | -26% | -38% | +3% | +35% | +3% | -32% | -3% | -23% | -24% |
| Drugs | +64% | +127% | +68% | +42% | +3% | -12% | +33% | +17% | +47% | +13% |
| Other Crime | -50% | -22% | +33% | -31% | +88% | -53% | +10% | -40% | +11% | -25% |
| Other Theft | -21% | -40% | -23% | -21% | -22% | -13% | -40% | -26% | - | -45% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | -71% | +67% | +25% | -33% | - | -40% | -20% | - | -50% |
| Public Order | -21% | -25% | +20% | +35% | +4% | +24% | +15% | -16% | +3% | -33% |
| Robbery | -50% | - | -60% | - | - | -33% | +25% | - | +50% | -50% |
| Shoplifting | -33% | -30% | -47% | -29% | -6% | -62% | -47% | -29% | -40% | -61% |
| Theft From the Person | +67% | -67% | - | -20% | - | -50% | -40% | - | +25% | -33% |
| Vehicle Crime | +4% | -55% | -54% | -53% | +43% | -49% | +17% | - | -24% | +15% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -10% | -34% | -16% | -12% | +18% | +7% | +10% | -1% | -8% | -24% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Swansea
What police force serves Swansea?
Swansea's local territorial police force is the South Wales Police.How dangerous is Swansea?
Swansea is the most dangerous city in West Glamorgan.What is Swansea's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Swansea are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Swansea?
Swansea's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021