Crime Rates for Sydney, NSW
⇌ Compare Sydney with another suburbAs of the Jun 2026 data release, The Sydney (2000) crime rate for the Year ending Mar 2026 was calculated from 8810 reported incidents, equal to 52,859 incident per 100,000 people. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the population of Sydney, NSW in 2021 was 16,667. In the last 10 years, Sydney, NSW's crime rate has seen a decrease. Recent data shows that Assault and Robbery occur at a rate of 1 incident per 14.5 people. For property crimes such as Burglary and Theft, the rate is 1 incident per 5.5 people. Community safety concerns, including Stalking and Harassment, are reported at a rate of 1 incident per 45.5 people. When reviewing these figures, it’s also valuable to compare them with broader crime trends across the Greater Sydney region.
Most Common Crimes in Sydney for 2026: Theft (3248), Assault (1100), Drug offences (755).
| Type/Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 12361 | 12108 | 11591 | 11435 | 11660 | 9130 | 11194 | 9175 | 8851 | 8600 | 8810 |
| Abduction and kidnapping | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Against justice procedures | 530 | 512 | 521 | 487 | 582 | 720 | 797 | 739 | 734 | 680 | 731 |
| Arson | 5 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Assault | 1139 | 1142 | 1218 | 1116 | 1146 | 706 | 801 | 1116 | 1048 | 1094 | 1100 |
| Betting and gaming offences | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Blackmail and extortion | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 6 |
| Coercive Control | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Disorderly conduct | 501 | 500 | 479 | 499 | 617 | 475 | 535 | 482 | 533 | 523 | 586 |
| Drug offences | 1003 | 1060 | 1161 | 1388 | 1291 | 834 | 845 | 1108 | 849 | 764 | 755 |
| Homicide | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Intimidation, stalking and harassment | 227 | 262 | 235 | 270 | 288 | 295 | 282 | 367 | 381 | 366 | 367 |
| Liquor offences | 918 | 1086 | 777 | 940 | 1185 | 791 | 668 | 570 | 345 | 324 | 333 |
| Malicious damage to property | 430 | 387 | 377 | 373 | 397 | 335 | 301 | 404 | 372 | 385 | 442 |
| Other offences | 570 | 595 | 496 | 490 | 471 | 1267 | 3196 | 365 | 270 | 306 | 360 |
| Other offences against the person | 16 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 26 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 |
| Pornography offences | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Prohibited and regulated weapons offences | 100 | 88 | 120 | 135 | 176 | 178 | 169 | 145 | 190 | 186 | 192 |
| Robbery | 58 | 39 | 45 | 57 | 40 | 20 | 18 | 43 | 46 | 56 | 44 |
| Sexual offences | 149 | 152 | 263 | 201 | 205 | 138 | 133 | 204 | 176 | 250 | 225 |
| Theft | 5798 | 5494 | 5185 | 4444 | 4143 | 2372 | 2292 | 2962 | 3094 | 3019 | 3248 |
| Transport regulatory offences | 907 | 771 | 696 | 1003 | 1090 | 969 | 1120 | 640 | 779 | 612 | 405 |
In 2026, Sydney, NSW recorded 8810 total crime incidents. Over the period from 2016 to 2026, overall crime has decreased. Cumulatively over this period, the most common crime type was 'Theft' with 42051 reported cases.
- Overview
- Latest Crime Rates
- FAQ
- AI Analysis
- Crime Statistics
- What Others Say About Safety
- New South Wales Overview
- Latest Crime
- Source
*Disclaimer: Information on this website is general and may not be accurate. Please verify independently. Read full disclaimer.
Latest Crime Rates
| Type | incidents (2026) | incidents (2025) | Changes(%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abduction and kidnapping | 1 | 4 | -75.00% (4) |
| Breach Apprehended Violence Order | 66 | 70 | -5.71% (70) |
| Breach bail conditions | 490 | 442 | 10.86% (442) |
| Escape custody | 0 | 2 | -100.00% (2) |
| Fail to appear | 2 | 11 | -81.82% (11) |
| Other offences against justice procedures | 23 | 43 | -46.51% (43) |
| Resist or hinder officer | 150 | 112 | 33.93% (112) |
| Arson | 1 | 5 | -80.00% (5) |
| Assault Police | 67 | 68 | -1.47% (68) |
| Domestic violence related assault | 170 | 205 | -17.07% (205) |
| Non-domestic violence related assault | 863 | 821 | 5.12% (821) |
| Betting and gaming offences | 1 | 0 | 100.00% (0) |
| Blackmail and extortion | 6 | 9 | -33.33% (9) |
| Coercive Control | 1 | 0 | 100.00% (0) |
| Criminal intent | 61 | 59 | 3.39% (59) |
| Offensive conduct | 251 | 214 | 17.29% (214) |
| Offensive language | 15 | 20 | -25.00% (20) |
| Trespass | 259 | 230 | 12.61% (230) |
| Dealing, trafficking in amphetamines | 7 | 4 | 75.00% (4) |
| Dealing, trafficking in cannabis | 10 | 7 | 42.86% (7) |
| Dealing, trafficking in cocaine | 31 | 51 | -39.22% (51) |
| Dealing, trafficking in ecstasy | 10 | 12 | -16.67% (12) |
| Dealing, trafficking in narcotics | 2 | 0 | 200.00% (0) |
| Dealing, trafficking in other drugs | 7 | 8 | -12.50% (8) |
| Importing drugs | 6 | 5 | 20.00% (5) |
| Manufacture drug | 1 | 0 | 100.00% (0) |
| Other drug offences | 96 | 77 | 24.68% (77) |
| Possession and/or use of amphetamines | 84 | 85 | -1.18% (85) |
| Possession and/or use of cannabis | 259 | 178 | 45.51% (178) |
| Possession and/or use of cocaine | 84 | 108 | -22.22% (108) |
| Possession and/or use of ecstasy | 71 | 118 | -39.83% (118) |
| Possession and/or use of narcotics | 15 | 13 | 15.38% (13) |
| Possession and/or use of other drugs | 72 | 98 | -26.53% (98) |
| Intimidation, stalking and harassment | 367 | 366 | 0.27% (366) |
| Liquor offences | 333 | 324 | 2.78% (324) |
| Malicious damage to property | 442 | 385 | 14.81% (385) |
| Other offences | 360 | 306 | 17.65% (306) |
| Other offences against the person | 10 | 12 | -16.67% (12) |
| Pornography offences | 2 | 5 | -60.00% (5) |
| Prohibited and regulated weapons offences | 192 | 186 | 3.23% (186) |
| Robbery with a firearm | 0 | 1 | -100.00% (1) |
| Robbery with a weapon not a firearm | 11 | 23 | -52.17% (23) |
| Robbery without a weapon | 33 | 32 | 3.13% (32) |
| Sexual assault | 89 | 94 | -5.32% (94) |
| Sexual touching, sexual act and other sexual offences | 136 | 156 | -12.82% (156) |
| Break and enter dwelling | 5 | 13 | -61.54% (13) |
| Break and enter non-dwelling | 90 | 63 | 42.86% (63) |
| Fraud | 502 | 475 | 5.68% (475) |
| Motor vehicle theft | 48 | 66 | -27.27% (66) |
| Other theft | 797 | 694 | 14.84% (694) |
| Receiving or handling stolen goods | 173 | 201 | -13.93% (201) |
| Steal from dwelling | 47 | 45 | 4.44% (45) |
| Steal from motor vehicle | 70 | 63 | 11.11% (63) |
| Steal from person | 119 | 147 | -19.05% (147) |
| Steal from retail store | 1397 | 1252 | 11.58% (1252) |
| Transport regulatory offences | 405 | 612 | -33.82% (612) |
Overview
No of incidents (Year ending Mar 2026), people in 2021Crime rates are shown as incidents per 100,000 people. These figures are based on the latest reported incidents and population data from the last census (2021). As population numbers may have changed since 2021, the calculated rates may not accurately reflect current population levels or the current situation in each area (suburb, LGA, and state). Therefore, the rates should be used as an indicator rather than a definitive measure of whether a suburb is safe or unsafe.
How safe do you feel in Sydney, NSW?
Based on community voting, safety perceptions in Sydney, NSW are mixed, with more respondents reporting feeling safe than unsafe. Results reflect personal perception and are not official crime statistics.
FAQ About Crime in Sydney, NSW
How common is car theft in the Sydney, NSW?
There were 66 motor vehicle theft incident(s) recorded between Year ending Mar 2026, averaging 1 incident every 5.5 day.
Is Sydney, NSW safe in 2026
Based on official statistics, Sydney, NSW may be considered less safe compared to the overall state average, as its crime rate of 52,859 incidents per 100,000 people for the Year ending Mar 2026 is higher than the overall crime rate in New South Wales.
What is the most common crime in Sydney, NSW?
In 2026, the most common crime type in Sydney, NSW was Theft with 3248 reported incidents.
Has crime in the Sydney, NSW increased or decreased in the past 5 years?
Crime rates have decreased by 4% over the past five years.
What is rate of criminal against person in Sydney, NSW?
In Year ending Mar 2026, there were 1753 incident against persons in Sydney, NSW, including homicide, assault, sexual offences,robbery, and other crimes against the person.
What is the rate of property crime in Sydney, NSW?
In Year ending Mar 2026, there were 3691 property crime incident in Sydney, NSW, including arson, theft, and malicious damage to property.
What is the number of drug offenses in Sydney, NSW?
In Year ending Mar 2026, Sydney, NSW recorded 755 drug incident, including cocaine, narcotics, cannabis, amphetamines, ecstasy and other drugs.
Community Snapshot – Sydney (2021)
Sydney is a vibrant suburb with 16667 people. This suburb has a small number of families with children, only 17.4% of households with an average household size of 2.1 people. The median household weekly income is $2227, though the unemployment rate stands at 6.8%. Reflecting its rich cultural diversity, only 22.3% of people were born in Australia, highlighting the suburb’s multicultural character.
Population Overview
- Total People (2021)
- Total People (2025 estimate)
- Couple Families with Children
- Average Household Size
Income & Employment
- Median Household Weekly Income
- Unemployment Rate
Cultural Diversity
- Born Australia
Crime Statistics
Other Safe Suburbs Near Sydney
If you’re considering living near Sydney , you might also be interested in these nearby suburbs, which consistently report lower crime rates and offer family-friendly amenities.
- Millers Point - 113 incidents (0.06513 per 100,000 people)
- Pyrmont - 1287 incidents (0.10167 per 100,000 people)
- Darlinghurst - 1922 incidents (0.18106 per 100,000 people)
- Dawes Point - 73 incidents (0.18961 per 100,000 people)
- Woolloomooloo - 869 incidents (0.22917 per 100,000 people)
- Potts Point - 2276 incidents (0.31686 per 100,000 people)
- The Rocks (Sydney) - 406 incidents (0.64547 per 100,000 people)
- Haymarket - 5528 incidents (0.66562 per 100,000 people)
- Barangaroo - 214 incidents (0.97273 per 100,000 people)
*Unincorporated/Out Of Council - Areas that are not governed by a local government authority
Source: Crime Statistics Agency (CSA), NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Australian Bureau of Statistics
Voices from Sydney
Read what locals and visitors say about feeling safe or not in the area.
How Do You Feel About the Safety of Sydney in 2026?
Tell us your story or share your experience about safety in Sydney. Please keep your comments respectful and do not include personal information.
Please follow these guidelines when submitting your story:
* Due to some users using real names or identifying nicknames, we have updated our privacy settings to maximize protection for everyone. Any nickname provided by a user when submitting a comment will automatically be shown using only the first two letters, for example: A.C. The original nickname provided by the user will not be publicly displayed.
We show crime statistics sourced from third-party providers (CSA Victoria, BOCSAR) and do not independently verify this data. Found a discrepancy? Let us know and we'll correct it. For questions about the source data itself, please contact the relevant agency directly.