New figures from Eurostat show that sexual violence offences across Europe continued to rise in 2024, with sharp differences between Western and Eastern countries likely to intensify debate over the link between crime and migration.
Police recorded 256,302 sexual violence offences in 2024, including 98,190 cases of rape. This represents a 5% increase in sexual violence overall and a 7% rise in rape compared with 2023.
Over the past decade, the trend has been sharply upward: sexual violence offences have nearly doubled since 2014, while rape cases have surged by 150%.
In 2024, police recorded 256 302 sexual violence offences, among which 98 190 (38% of the total) were rape offences.
— EU_Eurostat (@EU_Eurostat) April 29, 2026
đšBetween 2014 and 2024, sexual violence offences jumped by 94% (+124 350 cases) and rape offences by 150% (+58 983).
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A breakdown by population highlights striking regional disparities.
Nordic and Western European countries dominate the top of the list, with Sweden reporting 200.98 cases of sexual violence per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Iceland, Finland, France, and Belgium.
By contrast, several Central and Eastern European countries report significantly lower rates, including Hungary (5.10), Lithuania (5.79), and North Macedonia (7.17).
Similar patterns appear in other categories of crime. Spain, Belgium, Portugal, France, and Germany rank among the highest for robbery, burglary, and theft, while Montenegro, Slovakia, and Hungary sit at the lower end.
Drug-related offences also show similar gaps, with Sweden, France, and Belgium reporting far higher rates than countries such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia.
Rising crime levels in Western Europe have been increasingly linked to increased migration. Reports from countries such as Spain, Italy, France, and Germany have indicated that foreign nationals are overrepresented among suspects in certain categories of violent crime.
In France, non-European foreigners make up 5.7% of the French population, but account for 14% of homicides and up to 30% of vehicle thefts.
In several German states, including Bavaria, Berlin, and Baden-WĂźrttemberg, roughly half of all suspects in violent crimes are non-German nationals.
As we reported earlier, reports of sexual violence have increased alongside rising immigration levels in countries such as Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany.