9.4 percent increase

Another sharp rise in teen crime

Juvenile crime is becoming an increasing problem; there was also an increase in this area last year.(Bild: lev dolgachov – stock.adobe.com)

On Tuesday, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) presented the latest crime statistics. There was both good and bad news. The number of reported offenses is rising, but so is the clearance rate. The increase in juvenile crime was alarming; among 10- to 14-year-olds, the rise in reported offenses was 9.4 percent. The main group of offenders here are Syrian youths. 

There is good news and bad news: While the clearance rate for reported crimes is rising again—with police solving 53.6 percent of cases—crime does not sleep, and the number of reports has increased. There were 538,656 reports last year, marking another rise, albeit a slight one. 

However, approximately 10,000 more suspects were investigated than in 2024–2025, when 345,095 suspects were investigated. 47.7 percent of them were foreign nationals. Most came from Romania, followed by Syria and Germany. “The bad news is: Their numbers have grown. The good news is: We’re catching them. And we’re also deporting them,” said Karner. Last year, around 3,000 convicted criminals were deported.

Online threats are on the rise
There was a massive increase particularly in the area of cybercrime, with over 62,500 cases reported last year. Online threats are also on the rise, with a 16.4 percent increase. Interior Minister Karner announced an expansion of measures in this area, not only regarding the training of investigators but also in terms of raising public awareness. This effort is intended to begin with young people in schools. 

Juvenile crime is becoming an increasing problem; there was also an increase in this area last year.(Bild: lev dolgachov – stock.adobe.com)

Alarming rise in juvenile crime
Speaking of youth: Once again, there was an alarmingly high increase in juvenile crime: a 9.4 percent increase compared to the previous year among 10- to 14-year-olds. Statistically, the largest group here consists of Syrian youths. 

In 2025, there were 75,724 suspects under the age of 21. That is an increase of 2.3 percent. In contrast to the 10- to 14-year-olds, there was a slight decrease of 0.1 percent in the number of suspects aged 14 to 18

Karner intends to expand the measures already launched last year—and in some cases even tighten them. For instance, there are plans to introduce “prison-like accommodations” in closed residential communities in the future (a pilot project with the City of Vienna is already underway). The interior minister also intends to hold the parents of delinquent youths more accountable in the future. Offenses in this area occur particularly in urban settings, and Vienna will implement further measures here, as Karner explained: “As policymakers, we have a responsibility to act. Measures are necessary.” 

The minister referred to the task force established two years ago to combat juvenile crime, noting that further targeted campaigns are planned. Furthermore, he said, the implementation of the package of measures included in the government program is necessary. This concerns the prison-like detention of repeat offenders, and he expressed his gratitude to the City of Vienna for launching a pilot project in this area. This will be supplemented by a ban on carrying knives, police education sessions aimed primarily at parents, and security police case conferences.

Decline in Burglaries and Theft
With 163,685 reports, property crime has halved over the past two decades. The decline is particularly sharp in residential burglaries (apartments and houses), but also in motor vehicle theft—areas that were problem areas in earlier years. 

Twenty years ago, there were still around 20,000 reports of apartment and house burglaries; now there are around 6,000. Robbery offenses have also dropped by about half—from 4,500 to just over 2,000 reports within 20 years. Franz Ruf, Director General of Public Safety, attributed the decline in vehicle thefts in part to the work of the “Soko Kfz” task force, which was established as early as 2009. 

However, with 163,685 reports in 2025, traditional property crime remains one of the most significant categories of crime, Ruf said. It accounts for 30.4 percent of total crime. “The subjective sense of security among those affected would have a very strong influence here,” the Director General noted.

Andreas Holzer, Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BK); Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP); and Franz Ruf, Director General for Public Safety(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Other Priorities
A particular focus of police work at present is violence against women; last year, a record number of restraining orders were issued, explained Andreas Holzer, Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office. They are also collaborating with NGOs on this issue. 

Another focus is on social welfare fraud, Holzer added. “It is a burden on the welfare state—and thus on all of us.” In 2025, there were 60,062 reports in this area, representing a 24.6 percent increase. The clearance rate here is nearly 100 percent, “because social welfare fraud is a control offense.” Holzer announced a summit on this topic on April 15 to bring all stakeholders to the table.