Crime in Russia - statistics & facts
Even though the overall crime rate is decreasing in Russia, the country experiences a rise in grave crimes. While most criminal offenses in the country are of little gravity, the share of especially grave crimes increased to over seven percent in 2023. Furthermore, cyber violations become more prominent, with the number of crimes involving the use of telecommunication technologies or in the field of information security having increased by 30 percent in 2023.
Russia has seen substantial progress in its crime situation since the 1990s; however, crimes with a high gravity, such as homicides and organized crime, are surging. Moreover, digital violations, such as IT security compromises and identity fraud, have entered the criminal landscape and are expected to become even more substantial in the following years.
How has the crime situation in Russia changed since the 1990s?
After the 1990s, a period characterized by the widespread activity of criminal organizations, the level of crime in Russia significantly declined in the early 2000s, together with the homicide rate. The number of recorded murder offenses and attempted homicides went down until 2021, but increased in the following year. At the same time, Russia saw a steady prison population decrease in the past two decades. Nevertheless, its incarceration rate is one of the highest in Europe.Economic crime in Russia
Economic crimes like theft and fraud are the most common categories of crime in Russia. Modern types of such offenses are committed through unauthorized bank card transactions via the internet and mobile devices. Furthermore, corruption represents one of the major problems in the society. Russia's corruption perceptions index remained approximately the same over the past decade. Out of around 20,000 bribery cases in 2023, small-scale crimes were the most common.Domestic violence in Russia
Homicides, crimes causing intentional serious harm to health, and rape combined account for 1.4 percent of total registered offenses in Russia. Civil society groups pay special attention to the issue of gender-based violence, as domestic abuse and sexual harassment are found to be among the main issues faced by women and girls in Russia. In 2016 and the beginning of 2017, the country decriminalized some forms of family violence, which led to a decline in the number of such offenses in the official statistics.Russia has seen substantial progress in its crime situation since the 1990s; however, crimes with a high gravity, such as homicides and organized crime, are surging. Moreover, digital violations, such as IT security compromises and identity fraud, have entered the criminal landscape and are expected to become even more substantial in the following years.
