Crime concerns surge ‘post-pandemic’ to highest levels in more than a decade
New Roy Morgan crime research shows two-thirds of Australians (66%) agree that ‘Crime is a growing problem in my community’ – a higher figure than at any point in the last ten years.
The national trend over the last decade shows agreement with this statement reached a pre-pandemic high of 60% in 2016-17 before moderating over the next few years and falling to a pandemic low of 51% in 2020-21. Since then, concern has surged and is up 15% points in only four years.
Roy Morgan interviewed a representative cross section of 498,629 Australians electors aged 18+ over the past decade from July 2015 – June 2025 who were asked to agree or disagree with the statement that ‘Crime is a growing problem in my community’ for this research.
Perceptions of crime: % of Australians agree ‘Crime is a growing problem in my community’
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia). Base: Australian electors, aged 18+ between July 2015 to June 2025, average interviews per year (n=49,863), total: (n=498,629).
Public concern on crime has spiked in every State since the pandemic
The State-by-State results reveal significant differences, but the same clear upward trend since Covid.
Queensland records the highest current level of concern about crime at 77%, up 16% points in ten years (61%), and up 17% points since 2020–21 (60%).
Victoria recorded the sharpest rebound since the pandemic, up 21% points and 12% points over the decade (60% to 72%).
South Australia is up 11% points over the decade (52% to 63%) and up 13% points since 2020–21 (50% to 63%).
Western Australia has seen a small net decline of 2% points (from 67% in 2015 to 65% now), the only state to do so. In line with other States, Western Australia has seen a post covid rise of 6% points.
New South Wales has shifted only 4% points compared to a decade ago (53% to 57%), with a strong rebound from low of 44% in 2020–21 (+13%) post pandemic.
Tasmania was broadly stable up 3% points over the decade and up 11% points since 2020–21 (50%).
The ACT, have clearly the lowest concern about crime amongst Australia’s jurisdiction, has seen one of the largest shifts: from 34% in 2015–16 to 51% in 2024–25, a decade rise of 17% points and up 24% points since a pre pandemic low of 27% in 2019–20.
The national trend itself follows a clear U-shaped path: higher concern in 2015–17, a decline through to the pandemic low in 2020–21, then a pronounced and sustained rebound that has pushed concern to decade highs by 2024–25.
Taken together, these results show that the rise in perceptions of crime since Covid is broad-based, every State and territory is now reporting higher levels than the pandemic low, but the magnitude and timing differ.
Perceptions of crime by State: % agree that ‘Crime is a growing problem in my community’
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia). Base: Australian electors, aged 18+ between July 2015 to June 2025, average interviews per year (n=49,863), total: (n=498,629).
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says:
“New Roy Morgan crime research shows two-thirds of Australians (66%) agree that ‘Crime is a growing problem in my community’ – that’s higher than at any point in the last decade.
“The last time concerns about crime were at this level, or higher, for a sustained period was back in 2005-2006 around 20 years ago, and before that in 2001-2002 after the September 11 bombing of the World Trade Centre.
“The national trend over the last decade shows concerns about crime reached a ‘pre-pandemic’ high of 60% in 2016-17 before moderating over the next few years falling to a pandemic low of 51% in 2020-21.
“Since then, concern has surged and is up 15% points in only four years to 66%.
“The State-by-State results reveal significant differences, but the same clear upward trend over the last few years. Queensland records the highest current level of concern about crime at 77%, followed by Victoria (72%), Western Australia (65%), South Australia (63%), Tasmania (61%), NSW (57%) and the ACT (51%).”
“The issue was front-and-centre for Queenslanders at the State Election in late 2024 with then Opposition Leader David Crisafulli vowing to take several measures to reduce crime and winning a convincing victory. Crisafulli’s new LNP Government passed the ‘Making Queensland Safer Act’ in early 2025 which expanded on the ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ legislation passed in late 2024 designed specifically to crack down on youth crime.
“There are several other States for which crime is set to be a key election issue over the next 18 months or so. Now 63% of South Australians agree that ‘Crime is a growing problem in my community’ – up 13% points since 2020-21. South Australia is the next State to go to an election in only seven months’ time in March 2026.
“Looking forward Victorians go to the polls late next year and now 72% in that State agree that ‘Crime is a growing problem’ – up a large 21% points from four years ago. Opposition Leader Brad Battin, a former policeman, is clearly keen to make the issue a key factor in the election and has already spoken extensively on the issue more than a year before next November’s election.
“Although the trend of rising concern about crime is seen nationally, there are clearly some States in which the issue is set to play an out-sized role over the next 12-18 months as South Australians, Victorians, and in early 2027 New South Welshmen, all head to their next State Elections.”
For comments or more information about Roy Morgan’s data please contact Andrew Calvert-Jones or Julian McCrann for more details.
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About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is Australia’s largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state, as well as in the U.S. and U.K. A full-service research organisation, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience collecting objective, independent information on consumers.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
