Crime in Germany - statistics & facts

Crime is a term that encompasses a variety of illegal acts including threats, robbery, murder and illegal possession of drugs or firearms, to name a few. If a person witnesses or becomes the victim of a crime in Germany, the first step is to dial the national police emergency call number. From there, depending on the situation the police may make an arrest or start an investigation to determine what happened. Different countries have varying rates of crime, Germany does not have a high crime rate compared to other countries across the world and in fact is listen among the 20 most peaceful countries in the world.

Is crime on the rise?

Based on data from 2022, around 5.6 million criminal offences were recorded by German police, compared to just over five million the previous year. Police crime statistics are compiled by the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt). These statistics include all criminal offences known to the police, and also attempts to commit a crime. Minor breaches of the law are not included, neither are traffic offences and crimes against the state. Compared to earlier decades, German police has recorded a rising crime clearance rate staying consistently at over 50 percent since 1997.

Most common crimes in Germany

The law defines different types of crime and the subsequent punishment. Depending on the case and the severity of the crime, punishment may take longer to determine and requires additional court proceedings. Among the criminal offences recorded by German police, the most common types were theft, street crime and fraud. Theft includes shoplifting, for example, while street crime essentially means criminal acts in a public space, outdoors. Common examples are vandalism or mugging.

Violent crime

The number of recorded violent crime cases in Germany has fluctuated in recent years, though numbers have generally gone down since a peak in 2007. Violent crime is defined as that during which the victim is threatened or even harmed with violent force. While this type of crime varies by the means with which it is committed, it may also lead to bodily harm, murder or rape and sexual assault.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Sep 19, 2023

Key insights

Number of recorded criminal offences in Germany
5.63m
Number of murder cases in Germany
662
Number of male inmates serving a prison sentence in Germany
39,637
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of murder victims in Germany from 2000 to 2022

Violent Crime

Number of murder victims in Germany 2000-2022

Number of recorded criminal offences in Germany from 1991 to 2022 (in millions)

Police

Number of recorded criminal offences in Germany 1991-2022

Crime clearance rate of the police in Germany from 1993 to 2022

Police

Crime clearance rate of the police Germany 1993 -2022

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