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Number of prisoners increased by 3.2% in 2023
3 930 intentional homicides recorded in the EU in 2023
In 2023, there were 3 930 intentional homicides in the EU recorded by the police. It was an increase of 1.5% compared with 2022. However, there has been a slightly downward trend in the past decade and the number fell by 15.2% compared with 2013 (4 635).
Among the EU countries, the highest absolute numbers of intentional homicides were recorded in France (887), followed by Germany (661) and Italy (338), while the lowest numbers were found in Malta (2), Luxembourg (4) and Cyprus (10).
An increase from 2022 to 2023 was observed in 11 out of the 27 EU countries. France reported the highest increase in absolute numbers with 66 more intentional homicides, ahead of Germany (47 more) and Poland (36 more). The biggest fall occurred in Romania (38 fewer), Belgium (23 fewer) and Finland (19 fewer).
Source dataset: crim_off_cat
For more information
- Statistics Explained article on crime statistics
- Thematic section on crime and criminal justice
- Database on crime and criminal justice
Methodological notes
The statistics presented in this article are based on official figures for police-recorded offences (criminal acts) in Europe. It is important to note that the number of police-recorded crimes varies widely across the EU, even when adjusted to population size. This can be due to different laws, different police recording practices and differences in how crimes are reported, which can affect comparison.
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