Crime rates across New South Wales have fallen to their lowest levels in 40 years, new data has revealed, which according to analysts may be a surprise to most.

The latest annual snapshot from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows crime rates in most major categories have fallen or remained steady in the 24 months to December 2016.

Don Weatherburn from the bureau said it was part of a continuing downward trend in crime.

"People don't fully realise the extent to which crime has dropped," he said.

"The rates of robbery in New South Wales are now back to where they were in the 1970s and the rates of home burglary and motor vehicle theft are the lowest they've been since records began in the early 1970s.

"The fact of the matter is we've really never had it so safe as far as those major categories of property and violent crime are concerned."

Robbery, break and enter, car theft, stealing and fraud all recorded significant falls.

While crimes such as murder, domestic violence related assault and sexual assault remained stable.

Supermarket theft high but not always for groceries

One notable exception was shoplifting, which rose 6.1 per cent in the 24 months to December 2016.

Theft from supermarkets is on the rise with cosmetics and razor blades some of the most commonly stolen. ( ABC News: Raveen Hunjan )

Thefts from supermarkets accounted for 59 per cent of those offences, while thefts from department stores accounted for 24 per cent.

The most commonly stolen items were alcohol, clothing, cosmetics and razor blades.

Dr Weatherburn said it was unlikely the rise in shoplifting was due to people being unable to afford groceries.

"A lot of the material that's being stolen is high-end material," he said.

"I can only assume that there is a market for these goods and once that market emerges there is an incentive for people to steal."

Police warn against complacency

While overall crime rates were down across the state, offences in several categories rose in western NSW and the Central Coast.

In the Dubbo region, break and enter was up 22.4 per cent, motor vehicle theft was up 34.8 per cent, shoplifting rose 28.3 per cent and burglary rose 13.7 per cent.

On the Central Coast, domestic assaults were up 21.5 per cent, indecent assault rose 21.6 per cent, break and enter was up 12.6 per cent and stealing from motor vehicles was up 18.1 per cent.

Police Minister Tory Grant said the community could not be complacent given the increase in some crimes.

"Offences like domestic violence, whenever there is one in an area, that is one too many," he said.

"Complacency will never set in despite these good figures."