The rate of victimisation in attempted break-ins dropped to 1.6 per cent last year from 3.2 per cent in 2008-09. Malicious property damage had one of the highest rates of change, with nearly 170,000 households (6 per cent) estimated to have experienced some form of destruction in 2011-2012, versus just over 280,000 (10 per cent) five years ago.

The number of motor vehicle thefts nearly halved in the past five years, even though the rates also correlated with an increase in the number of incidents reported to police - 94 per cent of car thefts were reported last year, compared with 82 per cent five years ago.

“The most talked-about hypothesis is that we're largely becoming a more secure society,” said the research manager at the Australian Institute of Criminology, Jason Payne, citing the installation of security cameras and burglar alarms.

While the rate of traditional crimes had generally gone down, Mr Milne warned that the data did not reflect new and emerging crimes such as electronic credit-card fraud or online scams, which are difficult to monitor.

“We also ought not be too quick to make judgment about the overall decline in crime if, in fact, the decline is representing a shift of offenders into different methods and avenues of criminal activity,” he said.