The crime rate in Germany for 2022 was 6,762 crimes per 100,000 people, making it the first time in seven years in which the crime rate rose compared to the year before. Between 2000 and 2004 the crime rate in Germany increased from 7,625 to 8,037, before declining to 7,253 by 2010. The years between 2010 and 2015 saw an increase in the crime rate, but after 2015, the recent trend of declining crime started, leading to the generally low figures seen in the most recent years. While the uptick in the crime rate in 2022 marks a negative turn compared with these years, the overall crime rate is still much lower on average than in previous decades.

Crime rate highest in cities Germany’s sixteen states are made up of thirteen federal states, and three city states; Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen. These three city states had the highest regional crime rates in Germany, due to only covering urban areas which usually have higher crime rates than rural areas. The large federal state of Bavaria, in the southeast of Germany, had the lowest crime rate in the country at 4,698 crimes per 100,000 people in 2020. Baden-Württemberg, home to the black forest and the city of Stuttgart had the second-lowest crime rate per 100 thousand people in this year, at 4,944.

In 2023, German police registered around 214,100 cases of violent crime, which was a large increase compared with the year before. During the specified period, figures peaked in 2007. Violent crimes are characterized by the use of force or even weapons on a victim.

The city states of Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen were the states with the three highest crime rates in Germany in 2020, while the federal state of Bavaria had the lowest. Urban areas generally have higher crime rates than rural ones, making it difficult to compare Germany's three city states with the much larger federal states, which typically cover quite large areas. The federal state with the highest crime rate was Saxony-Anhalt at 7996 crimes per 100 thousand people, compared with the German average of 6209.

Since 2016, the number of crimes per 100,000 inhabitants has been on a downward trend and was at its lowest in 2021, although this was likely due to the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, crime rates have risen again. In 2023, the police recorded roughly ***** criminal offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. Youth criminal suspects Since the number of crimes is increasing, so is the number of suspects. Concerningly, the number of juvenile suspects has seen a rather significant increase and is currently at its ************ since 2016. Suspects who are considered in the juvenile category are aged 14 to 17 years old. In Germany, children under the age of 14 cannot be prosecuted and if they commit a crime, then social services usually step in to try and help. In general, punishments for those convicted are much more lenient as it is often considered that due to their age, they may not have been aware of the repercussions of their actions. For example, regardless of the crime committed, no child under the age of 18 can be tried as an adult. In contrast, in England and Wales, there were around ***** people aged between 15 and 20 in prison. Crimes solving rate With a higher crime rate, it is also important to consider how many crimes are solved. Once a crime is solved, the hope is that the victim can get some type of closure and answers, and also that the perpetrator faces justice for the crimes they committed. In 2023, the police solved around **** million crimes in Germany and for the past three years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of crimes solved. Some cases are, of course, easier to solve than others. Crimes of arson and other fire-hazard-related crimes had a comparably low clearance rate at around ** percent. In contrast, drug-related offenses were much more frequently solved. Even though 2023 saw the lowest clearance rate in 20 years, it was still at ** percent.

Historical dataset showing Germany crime rate per 100K population by year from 1990 to 2021.

Germany - Population reporting occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their area was 10.70% in December of 2023, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Germany - Population reporting occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their area - last updated from the EUROSTAT on October of 2025. Historically, Germany - Population reporting occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their area reached a record high of 14.20% in December of 2017 and a record low of 8.20% in December of 2020.

The number of crimes recorded in Germany in 2023 was 5.94 million, approximately 310,000 more crimes than in the previous year. From 2000 onwards, the number of crimes in Germany has fluctuated, peaking in 2004 at 6.63 million, and reaching it's lowest levels in the most recent year.

Panel data on the crime rate of burglary and the clearance rate of the police at the regional level in Germany from 2013 to 2017. Data was retrieved from the annual crime report (PKS) of the German Federal Police (BKA).

In 2023, there were 214 murders in Germany, and 490 attempted murders resulting in 704 murder cases in that year, compared with 662 cases in the previous year. Between 2000 and 2012, there was a net decrease of 300 murder cases a year in Germany, but in recent years that trend has been reversed, with 2018 showing the largest year-on-year increase in this time period.

Historical dataset showing Germany murder/homicide rate per 100K population by year from 1990 to 2021.

Information on the proportion of male and female non-German suspects in the total number of identified suspects (without regard to nationality) both for the offences as a whole and for each individual type of offence. Furthermore, a distinction is made between non-German suspects who are illegally or legally resident in the Federal Republic of Germany and the reason for the permitted stay per federal state.

Germany - Population reporting occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their area: Above 60% of median equivalised income was 10.40% in December of 2023, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Germany - Population reporting occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their area: Above 60% of median equivalised income - last updated from the EUROSTAT on September of 2025. Historically, Germany - Population reporting occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their area: Above 60% of median equivalised income reached a record high of 13.30% in December of 2017 and a record low of 7.70% in December of 2020.

Information on cases (total number, number of attempts, breakdown by offence, total crime suspects, share of non-German crime suspects, HZ) per federal state

Crime and socioeconomic data for the German Reich and mortality statistics for Prussia at county level for 1871 to 1912.

Topics: A: variables for the entire German Reich (1047 counties)

1. crime data: a) totals of all convicted for crimes and offences per 100000 b) number convicted due to dangerous bodily injury per 100000 c) number convicted due to simple theft per 100000

2. demographic information: a) totals of population of the age of criminal responsibility in the counties for 1885, 1905 and 1910 b) male German-speaking population in 1900 c) female German-speaking population in 1900 d) male, non-German-speaking population in 1900 e) female, non-German-speaking population in 1900 f) primary ethnic groups in 1900

3. data on urbanization: a) total population of the municipalities with more than 2000 residents per county in 1900 b) population in medium-sized cities per county in 1900 c) population in large cities per county in 1900 d) total population per county in 1900 e) typing the counties in city counties (=1) and districts (=2) in 1900

4. Geographic data a) short designation of all counties (1881 to 1912) b) identification number of all counties listed under 4a) c) surface area of the county in square kilometers in 1900

B: variables for Prussia (583 counties) mortality data for 1885, 1886, 1904, 1905 and 1906:

a) totals of deaths (according to sex) for the respective year b) number of deaths due to Tuberculosis (according to sex) for the respective year c) number of deaths due to suicide (according to sex) for the respective year d) number of deaths due to murder and manslaughter (according to sex) for the respective year

The variables for the Prussian counties can be compared with the corresponding counties of the German Reich.

In 2022, the crime clearance rate was highest in Bavaria at almost ** percent. Other German federal states with high rates included Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse.

Context

Berlin is a special city, multicultural city. And the crime image is special there.

Content

For example there are no bloody drug wars, ghetto or neighborhoods where police afraid to get. Crimes like "deprivation of liberty" and "treat" are in one column. But "larceny" - separated to 4 categories: theft of bikes, of auto, from auto (sic!) and rest kind of theft. Particular column for "Damage to property due graffiti" (Sach-beschädigung durch Graffiti (sic!). Numbers of crimes are connected with every single neighborhood of Berlin's part. Statistics covering period of 2012 - 2019 years.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks for assistance in translation to Alexei Klaus, Germany.

Inspiration

Questions to community: 1) what part of Berlin is most dangerous? 2) what crimes are growing? 3) what crimes are going low? 4) would be great to build Folium based heatmap.

ALLBUScompact is offered as an alternative to the structurally more complex full version of ALLBUS. It addresses the needs of newcomers to data analysis by providing a simplified demography module containing an easily manageable group of the most important demographic indicators. All topical question modules not containing sensitive data are retained as in the ALLBUS full version (scientific use file).

Topics:

1.) Use of media: Frequency and average total time of watching tv, frequency of watching news programs on public and commercial tv, frequency of reading a daily newspaper per week, frequency of reading books / e-books; internet use: frequency and type of device, frequency of using social media for political information, trustworthiness of different news sources with regard to crime and public safety.

2.) Social Inequality: Self-assessment of social class, fair share in standard of living, assessment of access to education, attitudes towards social inequality and the welfare state.

3.) Ethnocentrism and minorities: Attitude towards the influx of various groups of immigrants, attitudes towards the foreigners living in Germany, contacts with foreigners, antisemitic stereotypes and prejudices, attitudes towards Islam (Islamophobia), perceived risks and chances with respect to refugees.

4.) Family and gender roles: Attitudes towards working fathers and mothers, division of labor regarding house and family work., importance of educational goals.

5.) Values: Work orientations, attitudes towards legalizing abortion, materialism / postmaterialism (importance of law and order, fighting rising prices, free expression of opinions and influence on governmental decisions).

6.) Political attitudes: Pride in being a German, confidence in public institutions and organizations (public health service, federal constitutional court, federal parliament (Bundestag), city or municipal administration, churches, judiciary, television, newspapers, universities, federal government, the police, political parties, European Commission, European Parliament); identification with own community, the Federal Republic of Germany and the EU, preference for lower taxes or more social spending, stance on extension or reduction in social services, perceived strength of conflicts between social groups, political interest, self-placement on left-right continuum, satisfaction with democracy in Germany, voting intention (Sonntagsfrage).

7.) Deviant behavior and sanctions: Assessment of adequacy of court decisions, development of crime rate, moral assessment of deviant acts, crime-specific desire for sanctions (punitivity), desire to prohibit specific behaviors, attitude towards the death penalty, self-reported deviant behavior (past and future), perceived risk of being caught committing various crimes, victimisation (theft, any crime), respect of the law (norm), deterring crime through punishment, purpose of punishment, self-control (Grasmick), fear of crime, feeling of safety in living environment.

8.) Health: Self-assessment of overall health, physical and mental health during the last four weeks, acceptance of state powers to control epidemics.

9.) Religion: Self-assessment of religiousness, denomination, frequency of church attendance / attending a house of God.

10.) Other topics: Assessment of the present and future economic situation in Germany, assessment of present and future personal economic situation, social pessimism and orientation towards the future (anomia), interpersonal trust, reciprocity, authoritarianism, overall life satisfaction.

11.) ALLBUS-Demography: Details about the respondent: age, gender, marital status, citizenship (nationality), school education, vocational training, employment status, affiliation to public service, working hours per week (primary and secondary job), supervisory functions, fear of unemployment, length of unemployment, status of non-employment, date of termination of full-time employment, current or former membership in a trade union, membership in a political party, respondent´s income. Place of residence (size of municipality), duration of residence (in Germany and at current place of residence), mobility.

Details about respondent´s current spouse: age, school education, vocational training, employment status, affiliation to public service, status of non-employment.

Details about respondent´s steady partner: age, school education, vocational training, employment status, affiliati...

Time series Information on German suspects (breakdown by offence, total number of suspects, by sex, by age)

Information on German suspects aged 60 and over (breakdown by offences, total number of suspects, by sex, by age) per federal state

In 2023, about 46 adolescents aged 14 to 17 were suspected of murder in Germany. 1,296 were suspected of rape and sexual assault.