WELLINGTON - New Zealand's violent crime has fallen for the first time since 2018, which is encouraging to see a two percent drop in the numbers for 2024 after year-on-year increases in violent crime over the past six years, police and justice ministers said on Tuesday.

This drop coincides with New Zealand's prison population hitting its highest level since 2018 and the crime overall reducing, with total victimizations down two percent, and assaults and serious assaults both down 1 percent, said Police Minister Mark Mitchell.

It indicated that the government's tough-on-crime and victims-first approach is working, Mitchell said, adding the number of violent crimes in New Zealand increased by 51 percent between 2018 and 2023.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said there were 24,000 fewer victims over the year ending October 2024, compared to June 2024, adding the government, committed to restoring law and order, set the goal of 20,000 fewer victims of serious violent crime by 2029.