Types of crime in Belgium
The Belgian Federal Police registered decreasing reports of property crime between 2009 to 2020. During this period, burglaries decreased, reaching around 63 thousand cases in 2019. In addition, vehicle theft dropped during this time. In 2019, there were roughly 31 thousand stolen bike cases seven thousand stolen cars over the same period, most of which were Volkswagens. On the other hand, debit card fraud and extortion figures fluctuated significantly in Belgium. Card fraud cases ranged from around five to 12 thousand cases from 2008 to 2019 and over 3 thousand reported extorsions were filed each year since 2012 in the country.In Belgium, from 2012 to 2020, an increasing number of drug-related crimes were registered by the police. While possession offenses escalated from 25.2 thousand cases in 2008 to 47.1 thousand cases in 2020, drug dealing remained between six thousand and nine thousand cases per year. Similarly, until 2019, around 19 to 21 thousand alcohol abuse cases were filed annually by the Belgian Federal Police, whilst in 2020 this dropped to around 16 thousand registered cases.
Between 2008 and 2020, the Belgian police registered contrasting figures for crimes against physical integrity. Indeed, crimes such as physical violence, murder, and manslaughter have remained relatively steady over the years. For instance, roughly 78 thousand physical violence cases were filed in 2009 against 72 thousand in 2019, whilst in 2020 this dropped to around 63 thousand. Family violence reports decreased in Belgium during this period, to around 10.6 thousand cases registered by the police.
