Crime rates map

A map showing crime levels of suburbs around the Melbourne CBD

Introduction

  1. This page outlines the methodology used to calculate crime statistics for different geographies. Geographical areas are ranked based on their adjusted crime rates, which uses a combination of state-level survey data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and suburb-level crime data from state and territory police forces. Together, these sources allow for the calculation of nationally consistent crime rates for small areas.

Compilation of crime data

  1. The ABS Crime Victimisation Survey estimates the number of victims of each crime type by state and territory. While not available for small areas, the victims data is nationally consistent and allows for comparisons between jurisdictions.

  2. All states and territories except Tasmania and the Northern Territory provide raw counts for the number of offences recorded by suburb, classified by type of offence. These data are not consistent nationally, however are assumed to be consistent between suburbs in the same jurisdiction.

  3. The ABS crime victim numbers are used to re-scale the state and territory offence data to provide adjusted offence counts by suburb. The adjusted offence counts are then used to calculate a population-weighted percentile rank for each suburb by crime type.

Coverage

  1. Crime statistics cover all Australian states and territories except Tasmania and the Northern Territory due to the lack of publicly available suburb-level crime data. Statistics are available for suburbs and localities and 2023 local government areas defined under the Australian Statistical Geography Standard Edition 3. Only suburbs and LGAs with significant populations are included.

Reference period

  1. Crime counts are for the 2022-23 financial year. Population estimates are from the 2021 Census, with a reference period of August 2021.

Sources

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022-23) ‘State and territory times series, single year data (Tables 32a-35d)’ [time series spreadsheet], Crime Victimisation, Australia, accessed 1 May 2024.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Recorded Criminal Incident by month - By Suburb, accessed 1 May 2024.

Victoria Crime Statistics Agency, Data Tables LGA Recorded Offences Year Ending June 2023, accessed 1 May 2024.

Queensland Police, Queensland Crime Statistics, accessed 1 May 2024.

South Australia Police, Crime statistics, accessed 1 May 2024.

Western Australia Police force, Crime Statistics, accessed 1 May 2024.

ACT Policing, Crime Statistics, accessed 1 May 2024.