Fear of crime in Germany develops in parallel with, sometimes opposite from total crimes

Infografik of July 30, 2025

The image shows the infographic from the DIW Weekly Report 30-2025: "The infographic shows that fear of crime in Germany fluctuated between 2005 and 2023, while reported crimes declined overall over the years and have only recently begun to rise again slightly. Social events such as terrorist attacks are marked as influencing factors. The main message is that the perceived crime situation does not always correspond to the actual figures." Image description: Development of fear of crime and total crimes in Germany The infographic shows the development of fear of crime and total crimes recorded in Germany between 2005 and 2023. The graphic is divided into two main elements: a trend curve for fear of crime (as a percentage of the population) and a second curve for recorded crimes (per 100,000 inhabitants) in the same period. Graphic design On the left is a stylized emoji with a worried face and the text “Concern about crime trends.” Associated with the emoji is a blue line that shows the percentage of the population concerned over the years: 2005: 49% Low point in 2012: 31% Rebound by 2015: 47% 2023: 38% The number of recorded crimes is shown as a red line above: 2005: 7,748 cases per 100,000 inhabitants Continuous decline until 2019: 6,070 cases 2023: slight increase to 7,042 cases Additional elements Marking of events between 2015 and 2017 (e.g., terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels, Nice, Berlin, and Manchester) as influencing factors on the perception of crime. Symbols: Calendar pages mark the years 2005 and 2023, handcuffs symbolize total crime, figures are highlighted in color. Caption & sources The main message of the graphic is that fear of crime and actual case numbers do not always develop in parallel. Source reference: SOEP v40, PKS, own calculations; graphic by DIW Berlin 2025.

© DIW Berlin

Topics: Labor and employment , Well-being

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