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Victims of crime NZ

27.5% of adults reported being victims of crime in the previous 12 months, down from 29.5% in the 2024 survey (Ministry of Justice, 2025).

Updated

The share of adults and households who were victims of crime in the previous 12 months, from the Ministry of Justice's NZ Crime and Victims Survey, by main offence type. The survey asks people directly, so it counts crime whether or not it was reported to Police.

Estimated number of adults and households who were victims of crime in the previous 12 months, by main offence type, from the Ministry of Justice's NZ Crime and Victims Survey (thousands).

The survey began in 2018. These tables show 2018 (the base year) and 2021 onwards; results for 2019 and 2019/20 (cycles 2 and 3) were published in earlier releases with a different layout and are not combined here. Survey estimates with 95% confidence intervals (published with each value). Small changes are often not statistically significant; Justice marks the changes that are.

Survey results include crimes people report experiencing, whether or not they told Police. Court and prison counts describe later stages of the justice system and cover different groups of people.

Read the period beside each number before comparing it with another figure. A monthly observation, a quarterly result and a financial year cover different spans of time. The latest release can also revise earlier observations. The chart and downloads keep the published periods so you can check which figures are being compared. A change in victims of crime describes what happened during that period; it does not by itself explain why it happened or identify the effect of a government policy. Definitions and coverage matter as much as the size of a change.

Sources: Ministry of Justice. Last retrieved 10 October 2026.

Victims of crime, How many New Zealanders experience crime (Crime and Victims Survey): %, 2018 to 2025

All offences: % of adults victimisedAll household offences: % of households victimisedAll personal offences: % of adults victimisedBurglary: % of households victimisedTheft of / unlawful takes/converts motor vehicle: % of households victimisedProperty damage (household): % of households victimisedPhysical offences (assault and robbery): % of adults victimisedSexual assault: % of adults victimisedFraud and deception: % of adults victimisedCybercrime: % of adults victimisedHarassment and threatening behaviour: % of adults victimised
Victims of crime. All offences: % of adults victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 27.5%. All household offences: % of households victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 16.4%. All personal offences: % of adults victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 15.3%. Burglary: % of households victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 9.0%. Theft of / unlawful takes/converts motor vehicle: % of households victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 1.9%. Property damage (household): % of households victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 1.5%. Physical offences (assault and robbery): % of adults victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 1.7%. Sexual assault: % of adults victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 1.6%. Fraud and deception: % of adults victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 8.9%. Cybercrime: % of adults victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 1.4%. Harassment and threatening behaviour: % of adults victimised, 2018 to 2025, latest 2.6%.0%10%20%30%40%2018: 29.6%201820212022202320242025
Show the figures
PeriodAll offences: % of adults victimised (%)All household offences: % of households victimised (%)All personal offences: % of adults victimised (%)Burglary: % of households victimised (%)Theft of / unlawful takes/converts motor vehicle: % of households victimised (%)Property damage (household): % of households victimised (%)Physical offences (assault and robbery): % of adults victimised (%)Sexual assault: % of adults victimised (%)Fraud and deception: % of adults victimised (%)Cybercrime: % of adults victimised (%)Harassment and threatening behaviour: % of adults victimised (%)
202527.5%16.4%15.3%9.0%1.9%1.5%1.7%1.6%8.9%1.4%2.6%
202429.5%16.3%16.9%8.9%2.3%1.5%2.5%2.1%10.1%1.2%2.4%
202331.6%18.6%17.3%9.8%3.0%1.6%2.7%1.8%10.3%1.3%1.8%
202230.7%19.0%17.0%9.6%2.1%1.9%2.2%1.9%10.2%2.1%2.9%
202129.0%17.8%14.8%9.3%1.6%1.5%2.5%2.1%6.2%2.0%2.8%
201829.6%20.0%14.6%12.1%1.5%1.9%2.9%2.0%5.3%2.7%2.9%
Full data: crime victimisation
2025All offences: % of adults victimised 27.5%All household offences: % of households victimised 16.4%All personal offences: % of adults victimised 15.3%Burglary: % of households victimised 9.0%Theft of / unlawful takes/converts motor vehicle: % of households victimised 1.9%Property damage (household): % of households victimised 1.5%Physical offences (assault and robbery): % of adults victimised 1.7%Sexual assault: % of adults victimised 1.6%Fraud and deception: % of adults victimised 8.9%Cybercrime: % of adults victimised 1.4%Harassment and threatening behaviour: % of adults victimised 2.6%

The share of adults and households who were victims of crime in the previous 12 months, from the Ministry of Justice's NZ Crime and Victims Survey, by main offence type. The survey asks people directly, so it counts crime whether or not it was reported to Police.

Victims of crime. All offences: % of adults victimised: 27.5% in 2025. All household offences: % of households victimised: 16.4% in 2025. All personal offences: % of adults victimised: 15.3% in 2025. Burglary: % of households victimised: 9.0% in 2025. Theft of / unlawful takes/converts motor vehicle: % of households victimised: 1.9% in 2025. Property damage (household): % of households victimised: 1.5% in 2025. Physical offences (assault and robbery): % of adults victimised: 1.7% in 2025. Sexual assault: % of adults victimised: 1.6% in 2025. Fraud and deception: % of adults victimised: 8.9% in 2025. Cybercrime: % of adults victimised: 1.4% in 2025. Harassment and threatening behaviour: % of adults victimised: 2.6% in 2025.

Each measure retains its own definition and period. Lines break at changes in basis and missing periods. Choose a measure to see its note and readout.

Download CSVDownload JSONAnalyse with AI

Full downloads for every dataset on this page:

How many New Zealanders experience crime (Crime and Victims Survey)CSVJSON
Number of adults and households victimised by crimeCSVJSON
Crime incidents per 100 adults or householdsCSVJSON

Victims of crime: definitions

How many New Zealanders experience crime (Crime and Victims Survey)

The share of adults and households who were victims of crime in the previous 12 months, from the Ministry of Justice's NZ Crime and Victims Survey, by main offence type. The survey asks people directly, so it counts crime whether or not it was reported to Police.

Number of adults and households victimised by crime

Estimated number of adults and households who were victims of crime in the previous 12 months, by main offence type, from the Ministry of Justice's NZ Crime and Victims Survey (thousands).

Crime incidents per 100 adults or households

How many crime incidents occurred per 100 adults (personal offences) or per 100 households (household offences) in the previous 12 months, from the NZ Crime and Victims Survey. Unlike the % victimised, this counts repeat victimisation.

Victims of crime: comparison limits

These affect how far the figures can be compared.

How many New Zealanders experience crime (Crime and Victims Survey)

  • The survey began in 2018. These tables show 2018 (the base year) and 2021 onwards; results for 2019 and 2019/20 (cycles 2 and 3) were published in earlier releases with a different layout and are not combined here.
  • Survey estimates with 95% confidence intervals (published with each value). Small changes are often not statistically significant; Justice marks the changes that are.
  • Household offences are a % of households; personal offences are a % of adults (15+). 'All offences' is the % of adults who experienced any offence.
  • Some estimates are suppressed as too unreliable; those years are left out rather than filled in.
  • Not comparable with Police recorded crime, which only counts offences reported to and recorded by Police.

Number of adults and households victimised by crime

  • Numbers rise with population; the % victimised (crime-victimisation) is the better guide to change over time.
  • Survey estimates with 95% confidence intervals; this release shows 2018 and 2021 onwards (2019 and 2019/20 are in earlier releases).
  • Not comparable with Police recorded crime.

Crime incidents per 100 adults or households

  • Incident counts are driven heavily by a small number of people who are victimised repeatedly, so they move more from year to year than the % victimised.
  • Survey estimates with 95% confidence intervals; this release shows 2018 and 2021 onwards (2019 and 2019/20 are in earlier releases).
  • Not comparable with Police recorded crime.

Victims of crime by NZ government

The last published observation before each term began and ended. The current term uses the latest observation.Change since a government took office is not the same as its effect.

Prime ministersIn officeStartEndChange
Ardern, HipkinsOct 2017 to Nov 2023Not available30.7% (2022)Not available
LuxonNov 2023 to now30.7% (2022)27.5% (2025, latest)A fall of 3.2 percentage points so far
Compare governments on any measure

Victims of crime: data by period

The latest ten published periods for up to six series in each dataset. The downloads contain every observation.

How many New Zealanders experience crime (Crime and Victims Survey)

The share of adults and households who were victims of crime in the previous 12 months, from the Ministry of Justice's NZ Crime and Victims Survey, by main offence type. The survey asks people directly, so it counts crime whether or not it was reported to Police.

PeriodAll offences: % of adults victimisedAll household offences: % of households victimisedAll personal offences: % of adults victimisedBurglary: % of households victimisedTheft of / unlawful takes/converts motor vehicle: % of households victimisedProperty damage (household): % of households victimised
202527.5%16.4%15.3%9.0%1.9%1.5%
202429.5%16.3%16.9%8.9%2.3%1.5%
202331.6%18.6%17.3%9.8%3.0%1.6%
202230.7%19.0%17.0%9.6%2.1%1.9%
202129.0%17.8%14.8%9.3%1.6%1.5%
201829.6%20.0%14.6%12.1%1.5%1.9%

Number of adults and households victimised by crime

Estimated number of adults and households who were victims of crime in the previous 12 months, by main offence type, from the Ministry of Justice's NZ Crime and Victims Survey (thousands).

PeriodAll offences: adults victimised (thousands)All household offences: households victimised (thousands)All personal offences: adults victimised (thousands)Burglary: households victimised (thousands)Physical offences (assault and robbery): adults victimised (thousands)Sexual assault: adults victimised (thousands)
20251,199 thousand336 thousand668 thousand184 thousand74 thousand71 thousand
20241,274 thousand329 thousand730 thousand180 thousand107 thousand89 thousand
20231,335 thousand367 thousand730 thousand192 thousand116 thousand76 thousand
20221,278 thousand367 thousand705 thousand186 thousand92 thousand81 thousand
20211,163 thousand322 thousand595 thousand169 thousand100 thousand84 thousand
20181,172 thousand348 thousand576 thousand210 thousand113 thousand80 thousand

Crime incidents per 100 adults or households

How many crime incidents occurred per 100 adults (personal offences) or per 100 households (household offences) in the previous 12 months, from the NZ Crime and Victims Survey. Unlike the % victimised, this counts repeat victimisation.

PeriodAll offences: incidents per 100 adultsAll household offences: incidents per 100 householdsAll personal offences: incidents per 100 adultsBurglary: incidents per 100 householdsPhysical offences (assault and robbery): incidents per 100 adultsSexual assault: incidents per 100 adults
202559.4 per 10027.0 per 10032.7 per 10012.9 per 1004.5 per 1004.9 per 100
202458.7 per 10025.9 per 10031.9 per 10011.8 per 1004.6 per 1005.0 per 100
202359.1 per 10028.0 per 10029.9 per 10012.8 per 1005.6 per 1004.4 per 100
202276.9 per 10032.1 per 10044.4 per 10014.9 per 1006.1 per 1007.0 per 100
202160.9 per 10031.0 per 10029.4 per 10016.0 per 1005.2 per 1005.0 per 100
201859.9 per 10032.5 per 10029.4 per 10017.5 per 1005.9 per 1004.2 per 100

Victims of crime: questions for your AI

Download the files, attach them in the assistant you use, then paste the prompt. Its answer is its own reading of the data.

  1. 1Download crime-victimisation.csv
  2. 2Attach it in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or another assistant
  3. 3
    Paste this prompt

    The attached CSV is how many new zealanders experience crime (crime and victims survey), from Ministry of Justice. Describe how each measure has changed, naming its unit and period. Treat changes in basis and missing periods as breaks. Do not infer causation from government terms. Read the limits before comparing. Supporting datasets: crime-victimisation, crime-victims-number, crime-incidents-rate.

Questions about victims of crime in NZ

Short answers with their definitions, sources and limits.

Is crime going up in New Zealand?

Related NZ data

These topics put victims of crime alongside other measures.

Spending: Government financesPopulation: Economy and incomes

Victims of crime: sources

The source publication, licence and snapshot used to build this page.

Organisation
Ministry of Justice, NZ Crime and Victims Survey: how much crime is there
Licence
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Ministry of Justice, NZ Crime and Victims Survey, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Snapshot
data/raw/justice-nzcvs/2026-10-10_71252d209703.xlsx
SHA256
71252d209703e22d8398563bfefaecd46a0e632028667fceb3b11f50886dbd90
Retrieved
10 October 2026

Victims of crime: sources

The source publication, licence and snapshot used to build this page.

Organisation
Ministry of Justice, NZ Crime and Victims Survey: how much crime is there
Licence
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Ministry of Justice, NZ Crime and Victims Survey, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Snapshot
data/raw/justice-nzcvs/2026-10-10_71252d209703.xlsx
SHA256
71252d209703e22d8398563bfefaecd46a0e632028667fceb3b11f50886dbd90
Retrieved
10 October 2026

Victims of crime: sources

The source publication, licence and snapshot used to build this page.

Organisation
Ministry of Justice, NZ Crime and Victims Survey: how much crime is there
Licence
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Ministry of Justice, NZ Crime and Victims Survey, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Snapshot
data/raw/justice-nzcvs/2026-10-10_71252d209703.xlsx
SHA256
71252d209703e22d8398563bfefaecd46a0e632028667fceb3b11f50886dbd90
Retrieved
10 October 2026