A study comparing crime and safety in New South Wales (NSW) with other Australian states and territories for violent and property crime.

Crime rates in NSW are generally low compared to other Australian states and territories. Across both violent and property offences, NSW consistently records some of the lowest victimisation rates nationally, and for many offences, the lowest in Australia. The specific offences for which NSW shows very low comparative crime rates are: murder, physical assault, robbery, break and enter, motor vehicle theft, malicious damage and theft from motor vehicle.

Key findings

• NSW recorded the lowest murder rate in Australia over the three years from 2021 to 2023.
• NSW’s assault rate is among the lowest nationally.
• NSW has the lowest robbery rate in Australia.
• NSW’s break and enter rate is significantly lower than at least six jurisdictions and 30% below the national average.
• Sexual assault stands out as an offence of concern. While NSW’s rates are not significantly different from the national average, two of three data sources suggest sexual assault rates are high in NSW.
• Rates of domestic violence and fraud in NSW appear to be comparable to the national average, with no significant differences detected.