The state's quarterly crime statistics, released on Wednesday, showed decreases in seven of the 17 major crime categories including robbery offences, break and enter offences and stealing from a motor vehicle.

However, there have been two major increases in the past two years - an 8.4 per cent rise in indecent assaults and a 7.9 per cent rise in stealing from a retail store.

The latter was driven by thefts in liquor, mobile phones, electrical appliances and expensive perfumes.

"I find the increase surprising, given the level of electronic security in stores these days," director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Don Weatherburn, said.

A detailed list of items stolen from retail stores in 2015, published below in full, reveals alcohol made up five of the top 10 items more often stolen.

The most frequently stolen item was bourbon; it was five times more popular than cash among thieves and 200 times more popular than rosé wine.

Beer was the 106th most common item stolen. Also stolen from retail stores in NSW last year were 14 chainsaws, eight wigs, five mattresses, two photocopiers, two swimming pools, an abalone and a lobster.

In a sign of the times, DVD and CD players were among the least popular items with just six and four thefts respectively.

Retail thefts have increased the most in the northern beaches, Central Coast, Coffs Harbour, Bathurst, eastern suburbs, Sutherland Shire and Tamworth.

Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the Australian Retailers Association, said retail crime represents about 3 per cent of retail turnover in NSW or $3 billion.

"When the economy is a little tougher, and we're seeing that at the moment, we find retail thefts climb drastically," he said.

"Generally speaking it's small and inexpensive items like batteries, razor blades, cosmetics, baby food."

The 8.4 per cent rise in indecent assaults in the past two years has largely been credited to a surge in people coming forward to report historic child sex abuse.

Maitland, the centre of an investigation into child abuse in the Catholic Church, had a 67.3 per cent rise.

There has also been an increase in reports from the Department of Family and Community Services child abuse help line.

"While the rise of two crime categories is concerning, overall the picture is positive, which is testament to the proactive police work," NSW Police Minister Troy Grant said.

The picture across regional and rural NSW has improved since last year's report, but many areas are still suffering staggering crime rates that are up to six times the state average.

The Armidale local government area had a 113.1 per cent increase in break and enter non-dwelling and 235.7 per cent increase in motor vehicle thefts.

Murder rates drop

Murders in NSW declined significantly from 89 in the year to March 2015 to 64 the following year.

The murder rate has been declining steadily in NSW over the past two decades. It is attributed to a mix of factors including a general reduction in physical violence, increased awareness of surveillance and medical advancements that enhance the chance of survival.

Dr Weatherburn said the most recent figure was unusually low. "Murder is undoubtedly coming down but that's a spectacular drop that I don't think will be repeated next year."

About two in five murders in Australia are at the hands of a family member, a recent Australian Institute of Criminology study found.