In 2019, 11.0% of the population of the 27 EU Member States reported they faced a problem of crime, violence or vandalism in their local area. This proportion has fallen each year since its peak in 2013 (14.1%). As might be expected, people living in cities reported these problems over three times more often than people in rural areas in 2019 (21.3% vs. 6.9%).
Focusing on poverty status, 13.4% of people at risk of poverty in the EU reported the occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their neighbourhood, compared with 10.6% of those not at risk of poverty.
Highest occurrence of neighbourhood crime, violence or vandalism in Bulgaria, lowest in Croatia
The share of people reporting crime, violence or vandalism in their neighbourhood varied across the EU Member States. The highest shares were recorded in Bulgaria (20.2%), Greece (16.9%) and the Netherlands (16.3%).
In contrast, the lowest shares were observed in Croatia (2.7%), Lithuania (3.2%) and Poland (4.4%).
Source dataset: ilc_mddw03
Notes:
• Occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in the local area is one of the indicators to monitor progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions as well as Sustainable Development Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities. More information on SDGs: Dedicated section on SDGs.
• Individuals are identified as being at risk of poverty if their equivalised disposable income is less than 60% of the median equivalised disposable income after social transfers.
• Crime, violence or vandalism in the area by degree of urbanisation: ilc_mddw06.
• Population reporting occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their area by poverty status: sdg_16_20.
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