There's been a 5% drop in recorded crime throughout the Southern Police District in the last financial year.

Statistics New Zealand released its latest recorded crime data today.

It shows there were 6,684 recorded offences in the district.

That's down from just over 7,000 in the previous financial year.

Nationwide, the number of recorded criminal offences dropped by 3.2%, to just over 350,000.

That's about 10,000 less offences than in the previous financial year.