Alarmist headlines about crime, drugs and street violence are commonplace in the German media. Viral videos, such as those by South African-born German blogger Kurt Caz showing Frankfurt’s troubled Bahnhofsviertel neighbourhood, reinforce the perception that Germany is experiencing a security crisis. But what does the data really say?
Bahnhofsviertel has historically been a marginal district, with a high presence of drugs and prostitution. Criminologist Susanne Karstedt reminds us that these aspects attract violence and drug-related crime. As in many other countries, German cities have higher crime rates than rural areas, especially in places with marked social inequalities, such as Berlin, Frankfurt or Bremen.
However, Karstedt insists that Germany is a safe country. Crime, in general, has been decreasing since the 80s and 90s of the last century. Technology, as in the case of modern vehicle safety systems, has contributed to this reduction.
Journalists Pere Hille and Kira Schact, from dw.com, consider that one of the most useful indicators to compare safety between countries is the homicide rate. With 0.91 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, Germany ranked 147th in the world in 2024. This figure places it far behind countries such as South Africa (with more than 40 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants) or the United States (5.76).
Two decades ago, Germany had a much higher homicide rate (2.5), showing a clear improvement. However, a recent upturn in violent crime has been detected, especially among young men, a group that is often affected by difficult social conditions.
Discussions on migration and crime often generate controversy. But Karstedt points out that there is no direct relationship between being a migrant and committing crimes. In fact, several studies show that migrants generally commit less crime than native citizens. What does have an influence are social factors such as lack of opportunities, unemployment or educational level.
In addition, many migrants live in urban environments, where crime is statistically higher. Gina Rosa Wollinger, a criminologist from Cologne, stresses that this can distort public perception, since it is not migration per se that explains crime, but the context in which these people live.
Studies on youth crime confirm that the causes of violence are the same for German and non-German youth. But there are more risks among young migrants, especially if they have lived through traumatic experiences of war or social exclusion.
Official crime statistics in Germany come from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). However, these data only include reported cases. Domestic violence or sexual assaults often go unreported, especially in rural areas or in close relationships (family members, teachers, coaches, etc.).
Karstedt stresses that most sexual assaults are not committed by strangers, but by someone close to the victim. Cases like New Year’s Eve 2015 in Cologne, in which dozens of women were assaulted by strangers, are the exception, not the norm.
Karstedt, who lives in Australia, but often visits her hometown of Hamburg, says she has always felt safe, even on public transport. Although she acknowledges that Germany may seem less friendly than other countries, she stresses that it is a safe country.
Public perception is often influenced by sensational news stories and viral videos. Despite social challenges and occasional spikes in crime, the data show that Germany remains one of the safest countries in the world.
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