Crime statistics 2023-24: Regional and urban spotlight

Crime rates map

Explore the latest crime statistics for your local area through our interactive crime map.

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

ACT

• Sydney
• Newcastle
• Central Coast
• Wollongong
• Albury-Wodonga
• Melbourne
• Geelong
• Ballarat
• Bendigo
• Brisbane
• Gold Coast
• Sunshine Coast
• Townsville
• Cairns
• Toowoomba
• Perth
• Adelaide
• Canberra

Introduction

Today OpenStats released its small area crime statistics for the 2023-24 financial year.

Small area crime statistics are based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Crime Victimisation Survey. For information about state and territory-level crime statistics, visit the ABS website.

The statistics presented in the following article are pooled across two financial years to improve the reliability of the estimates. Small area crime statistics are available for all states and territories except Tasmania and the Northern Territory due to insufficient data.

To explore the latest small area crime statistics by suburb and local government area, please see our crime map.

Crime rates

The below analysis only includes six states and territories (excludes Tasmania and the Northern Territory).

• Break-in rates increased for both the six capital cities and non-capital city areas in 2022-24 compared to 2020-22 (the most recent non-overlapping period) (Table 1). The increase in the six capital cities was lower than the increase in non-capital city areas.
• Motor vehicle theft rates and violent crime rates decreased in both the six capital cities and non-capital city areas. The decrease in the six capital cities was larger than the non-capital city areas for both crime types.
• Crime rates are lower in the six capital cities compared to the non-capital city areas. Notably, the rate of violent crime for the six capital cities at 2,366 per 100,000 residents is around 40% lower than non-capital city areas at 4,000 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.

Table 1: Crime rates by region (rate per 100,000 residents)

Source: ABS; State police departments; OpenStats

Break-ins by LGA

Only local government areas with resident populations of at least 10,000 persons are considered.

• Broome was the LGA with the highest break-in rate, at 7,642 break-ins per 100,000 residents (Table 2). This is well above the next highest LGA, Mount Isa, at 4,415 break-ins per 100,000 residents.
• Western Australia had four of the top 10 LGAs for break-ins, while Queensland had three.
• All of the top 10 LGAs for break-ins were outside of a greater capital city area.
• Mount Barker was the LGA with the lowest break-in rate, at 108 break-ins per 100,000 residents (Table 3). Yass Valley was the next lowest, at 120 break-ins per 100,000 residents.
• South Australia had six of the 10 LGAs with the lowest break-in rates, while New South Wales had three.
• Four of the 10 LGAs with the lowest break-in rates were in a greater capital city area.

Table 2: Highest break-in rates by local government area

Source: ABS; State police departments; OpenStats

Table 3: Lowest break-in rates by local government area

Source: ABS; State police departments; OpenStats

Motor vehicle theft by LGA

Only local government areas with resident populations of at least 10,000 persons are considered.

• Broome was the LGA with the highest motor vehicle theft rate, at 8,705 per 100,000 residents (Table 4).
• Western Australia had six of the top 10 LGAs for motor vehicle theft, while Queensland had two.
• Eight of the top 10 LGAs for motor vehicle theft were outside of a greater capital city area.
• Yorke Peninsula was the LGA with the lowest motor vehicle theft rate, at 173 per 100,000 residents (Table 5). Mansfield was the next lowest, at 204 thefts per 100,000 residents.
• South Australia and New South Wales each had four of the 10 LGAs with the lowest motor vehicle theft rates.
• Four of the 10 LGAs with the lowest motor vehicle theft rates were in a greater capital city area.

Table 4: Highest motor vehicle theft rates by local government area

Source: ABS; State police departments; OpenStats

Table 5: Lowest motor vehicle theft rates by local government area

Source: ABS; State police departments; OpenStats

Violent crime by LGA

Only local government areas with resident populations of at least 10,000 persons are considered.

• Mount Isa was the LGA with the highest violent crime rate, at 31,290 incidents per 100,000 residents (Table 6). Broome was next highest, at 20,365 incidents per 100,000 residents.
• Western Australia had four of the top 10 LGAs for violent crime rates, while South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland had two each.
• All but one of the top 10 LGAs for violent crime rates were outside of a greater capital city area.
• Ku-ring-gai was the LGA with the lowest violent crime rate, at 546 incidents per 100,000 residents (Table 7).
• New South Wales had seven of the LGAs with the lowest violent crime rates, while South Australia had two.
• All of the 10 LGAs with the lowest violent crime rates were in a greater capital city area.

Table 6: Highest violent crime rates by local government area

Source: ABS; State police departments; OpenStats

Table 7: Lowest violent crime rates by local government area

Source: ABS; State police departments; OpenStats

More information

See our crime statistics methodology page for more information on how we calculate our crime statistics.

For further information, please contact us.