NSW murder rates fall to 20-year low

Murder rates in NSW have plummeted by almost one-third in the past two years, new crime statistics reveal.

Robbery numbers also plunged in the past 24 months, with the most significant dip among firearm-toting offenders, which fell by more than 40 per cent.

Shoplifting and fraud were the only two crime categories to rise over the period, according to a report released on Monday by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics Research (BOCSAR).

But while the statewide figures painted a fairly rosy picture, trends in some regions told a slightly different story.

Most areas showed stable or falling crime rates, but in other parts of the state there were fairly sizeable surges.

In the Coffs Harbour-Grafton region, break and enters on dwellings soared by 28.6 per cent and stealing from retail shops also lifted by 16.7 per cent.

Indecent assaults on the NSW mid-north coast rose by 27.2 per cent, while robberies with weapons in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie increased by 30.9 per cent.

In the NSW Riverina, domestic violence-related assaults surged by 21.9 per cent and indecent assaults were up 19.8 per cent.

Across the entire state stealing from retail shops crept up by 6.3 per cent, with supermarkets the hardest hit.

Department stores, liquor shops and clothing outlets were also key shoplifting targets.

Murders, robberies and a raft of other major crimes, including various forms of stealing and break and enters, have dipped to their lowest levels in 20 years.

Shootings are also at their lowest levels in the past two decades, the BOCSAR data showed.