Decline in crime and social challenges in a state comparison

On Wednesday 12th March 2025, NRW’s Minister of the Interior Herbert Reul presented the latest Police Crime Statistics (PKS) for 2024. The results not only provide information about the development of crime in North Rhine-Westphalia, but also reflect the state of our society – as Reul emphasised: ‘The statistics show the state of our society.’

Decline in overall figures and improvements in the clearance rate

In North Rhine-Westphalia, just under 1.4 million criminal offences were recorded last year – 1,398,652 cases to be precise – which represents a slight decrease of about one per cent compared to the previous year. This development indicates that the steep increase in the post-corona years has been successfully curbed. In addition, investigators managed to solve more than half of all cases – 53.5 per cent. This is the second-best clearance rate since 1962 and illustrates the dedicated work of the police, for which Reul expressly thanked all emergency services personnel, whether in uniform or not.

Changes in the individual crime areas

The statistics show that encouraging decreases were achieved in some areas. For example, the number of crimes in the area of general theft fell by 1.3 per cent, while shoplifting fell by 5.1 per cent and robbery by 7.3 per cent. Merchandise and merchandise credit fraud also fell by 6.4 per cent. These decreases underline the effectiveness of preventive measures and police activities in these areas.
At the same time, however, there are also areas where the figures have risen. For example, the number of burglaries increased by 5.2 per cent – a warning sign that should be heeded despite the overall lower number of cases. Assault cases rose by 1.7 per cent, while cybercrime increased by 7.8 per cent. Knife crime is particularly striking, with a more than 20 per cent increase in recorded cases to 7,295.

Victim numbers, suspects and sensitive social issues

Nationwide, 325,897 victims of crime were registered in the reporting year. In about one per cent of these cases – 3,172 to be precise – serious injuries occurred, and a total of 306 people were killed. The investigation of suspects also shows interesting developments: a total of 493,389 suspects were identified in the case of crimes involving violations of immigration law – a decrease of 2.1 per cent compared to 2023. For crimes not involving violations of immigration law, the number was 474,123, with non-German suspects accounting for 35.6 per cent.
The age distribution also shows that the number of suspects has fallen in all groups. In particular, the number of suspects aged under 21 fell by 7.4 per cent to 99,984. However, in the area of dangerous and grievous bodily harm, an increase of 8.5 per cent in the number of suspects in the area of children and 2.1 per cent in the area of young people was observed, which points to specific challenges in this area of crime.
Violent crime as a whole fell slightly by 0.4 per cent – 55,600 cases were recorded here, with the perpetrators being identified in around three out of four cases. However, a ten-year comparison shows an increase of 20 per cent in this category of crime. It is also striking that a disproportionately high percentage of victims (34.3 per cent) and suspects (41.8 per cent) of violent crimes are of non-German origin, although this population group only makes up 16.1 per cent.
In the area of murder and manslaughter, 479 offences were registered, of which 346 were merely attempts. The impressive clearance rate of 93.1 per cent underscores the efficiency of the investigative work – however, about half of the 674 suspects did not have a German passport. In the area of sexual offences, the number of registered cases fell by 5.8 per cent to 30,600, with the clearance rate remaining high at around 80 per cent.

Impact of cannabis legalisation and further developments

Another important finding of the 2024 crime statistics concerns drug-related crime. Offences in this area fell by 34 percent – a decline that is largely interpreted as an effect of the recently implemented legalisation of cannabis. This measure appears to have significantly reduced the workload of the police in this area.
In the area of cybercrime, 22,800 cases were recorded, an increase of 7.8 per cent, resulting in an estimated loss of over 32.5 million euros. This increase highlights the growing importance of digital attacks, which will continue to be one of the biggest challenges for security authorities in the future.

State comparison: an in-depth look at developments in specific federal states

The results from North Rhine-Westphalia fit into a nationwide trend that reveals similar challenges in other federal states:

Bavaria: In Bavaria, too, there has been a decline in theft and robbery offences, but cybercrime and knife violence are on the rise in some regions, particularly in urban centres and border areas. Rural areas face particular challenges in responding quickly and solving burglaries, which underscores the need for regionally adapted security concepts.

Baden-Württemberg: In Baden-Württemberg, the high clearance rates in many areas – particularly for violent and sexual offences – are a testament to the high efficiency of the investigating authorities. Nevertheless, an increase in cybercrime and burglary has also been observed here, reflecting the ongoing digitalisation effect. State support for innovative security strategies plays a crucial role in this.

Lower Saxony: Similar to North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony is struggling with an increase in digital attacks and knife violence. In addition, socio-economic differences between urban and rural areas are having a more noticeable impact on the fight against crime. The structural challenges in some regions require increased preventive measures and closer cooperation between the police and local authorities.

Hamburg: As a city state, Hamburg faces urban challenges in particular. The high population density and international network lead to an increase in cases of cybercrime and theft. The authorities here must develop innovative strategies to cope with rapid technological developments and the new forms of crime that go hand in hand with them.

New federal states (e.g. Saxony and Brandenburg): In the new federal states, structural challenges are emerging in some areas. In Saxony, for example, regional differences and infrastructure bottlenecks are hindering a uniform approach to combating crime, while in Brandenburg, demographic change and a lack of integration opportunities in certain regions are placing an additional burden on the police. These factors mean that specific security concepts have to be developed in some areas here in order to meet regional needs.

Final consideration

The police crime statistics for 2024 provide a differentiated picture: on the one hand, there are downward trends in several areas, such as theft, robbery and product fraud, while on the other hand, burglaries, physical assault, cybercrime and knife violence are on the rise. The progress made, in particular the excellent clearance rates, is in contrast to the continuously growing challenges. The cross-state comparison makes it clear that the problems of fighting crime are not limited to a single federal state. Rather, they reflect challenges for society as a whole, in which not only the police, but also education, schools and integration play a decisive role in contributing to long-term security.
Minister of the Interior Reul emphasised in conclusion that the police are not just fighting the symptoms, but that a comprehensive social approach is necessary to meet the increasing demands and regional peculiarities. The insights gained from North Rhine-Westphalia and the other federal states provide important clues for the future strategic direction of the fight against crime in Germany.