Ipsos 2024 Crime & Law Enforcement Monitor

Tāmaki Makaurau & Pōneke, 8 July 2024 – Ipsos, one of the world's leading market research companies, releases the 2024 Crime & Law Enforcement Monitor, a 31-country survey which tracks peoples’ perception of crime in their country and local area. Key findings include:

• 62% of New Zealanders believe that poverty and unemployment are the most significant causes of crime and violence. This is significantly higher than the global average (53%) and places New Zealand in the top-5 surveyed countries which holds this perception.
• Drug and alcohol abuse was identified as the second most significant causes of crime and violence (58%), followed by breakdown of traditional values (36%). Notably, fewer than 1 in 3 New Zealanders (30%) believe that ineffective law enforcement is a key driver of crime and violence.
• Nearly half of New Zealanders (46%) say that the Government should prioritise creating jobs and boosting the economy. In contrast, less than a quarter (23%) say that stopping or reducing crime should be a priority.
• Around 1 in 3 New Zealanders (31%) believe that the amount of crime or violence in their neighbourhood has increased in the last 12 months. Just under half (48%) say that it has stayed about the same.
• New Zealanders are significantly more likely to trust law enforcement to treat all citizens with the same level of respect compared to others around the world (68%, compared to 57% global average).
• However, we are less confident in law enforcement’s ability to stop crimes from happening. 47% of New Zealanders are not confident that law enforcement can stop violent crimes (42% global average), while 53% are not confident that law enforcement can stop non-violent crimes (44% global average).

Carin Hercock, Managing Director, Ipsos New Zealand, said: " The majority of New Zealanders, and higher than the global average, believe that poverty, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse are the top causes of crime in their neighbourhood and are significantly less likely to see ineffective policing as a cause of crime. Interestingly it is the ‘Baby Boomer’ and ‘Gen X’ generations who are more likely to see the breakdown of social values as a major cause.”

Amanda Dudding, Research Director, Public Affairs, Ipsos New Zealand, added: “In May, when we asked 1,000 New Zealanders what they think are the biggest issues facing our country, after the cost of living, the second most mentioned was crime. However, what this study shows us is that the global picture is similar, New Zealand is not alone in its concern. Just under a third of New Zealanders think that crime has increased over the past year, the same as the average of the 31 countries included in this survey.”

Ipsos has conducted this study as part of its Crime Monitor to understand people’s attitudes and perceptions on crime. More than 23,000 people across 31 countries were surveyed, including 1,000 people aged 18+ in New Zealand.