Increase in criminal offenses in Switzerland confirmed
The number of registered crimes in Switzerland rose for the third time in a row in 2024. Last year, the Swiss police reported 563,633 criminal offenses in accordance with the Swiss Criminal Code (SCC). This increase of 7.9% compared to the previous year is mainly due to the increase in property offenses. There was also a sharp rise in digital crime (+35%).
In 2024, the number of offenses against the Swiss Criminal Code (SCC) rose by 7.9% compared to the previous year. This corresponds to an increase of 41,075 offenses. An increase that needs to be carefully analyzed. "In general, we can say that Switzerland is a safe country - also thanks to the good work of the police corps in Switzerland," says Matteo Cocchi, President of the Conference of Cantonal Police Commanders (KKPKS). "Sometimes subjective perceptions gain the upper hand. At such times, it is important to create clarity with data and explanations. We are able to do this because citizens continue to have a great deal of trust in the institutions and in the police in particular."
Rise in property crimes confirmed: faster national police information exchange urgently needed
The largest share is accounted for by property offenses, which have increased for the third time in a row (+8% compared to 2023). This increase is mainly due to unauthorized data procurement (+61.6%; +1309 offences), damage to property during theft (+16%; +6527 offences), fraud (+17.3%; +5078 offences) and fraudulent misuse of a data processing system (+27.3%; +4221 offences).
Burglaries and thefts by intrusion increased by 11.2%. A total of 46,070 crimes were committed, an average of 126 cases per day (2023: 114). There was also a significant increase in vehicle burglaries (+27%). The detection rate in this area has improved slightly (+1.2%).
"These are types of offences that often affect the subjective sense of security," emphasizes Cocchi. "Concrete and effective responses are therefore crucial. With this in mind, we need more automatic mechanisms in the exchange of police information so that we can react in good time. The current procedure is no longer up to date. For investigations of a certain relevance across cantonal borders, it is crucial to be able to find out quickly whether there is a need for investigation or cooperation," says Cocchi.
More accused persons in 2024
In 2024, 91,929 accused persons were recorded for violations of the SCC. This is 1526 more people than in the previous year (+1.7%). For the third time in a row, the largest increase was recorded among accused persons aged 25 and over (+2.5%).
The demographic composition of the suspects has changed slightly: 42.3% were Swiss nationals (-2%) and 31.4% were foreign nationals with a permanent residence or residence permit (+0.2%). 6.7% of the registered suspects are asylum seekers, temporarily admitted persons or persons in need of protection (+0.1%). The proportion of the non-permanent resident population also increased (from 17.9% to 19.6%).
Serious violent crime at its highest level since 2009
Violent crimes have increased again, confirming the trend of recent years. In 2024, the increase in violent crimes amounted to 3.3%. A total of 48,943 offenses were registered. The number of serious violent crimes stands out in particular (2456). This is 399 cases (+19.4%) more than in the previous year and corresponds to the highest figure since 2009.
On the other hand, there was a decrease in completed homicides (-8 cases; -15.1%). Attempted homicide and grievous bodily harm increased by 1.7% and 16.9% respectively. A significant increase was registered in the number of rapes (+29.4%).
After remaining relatively stable in recent years, the number of cases of domestic violence rose by 6.1% in 2024. Significant in this context is the proportion of domestic homicides, which amounted to 57.8%. Of the 45 completed homicides, 26 were committed in the area of domestic violence. This figure corresponds to that of the previous year. Other important indicators for assessing the situation in this context are the increases in serious bodily harm (+20.4%), endangering life (+46.3%) and rape (+30.4%).
"In this context, prevention and a willingness to listen are crucial. Efforts must be stepped up once again in this regard," says Cocchi.
Digital crime on the rise
Following the large increase in the previous year, cybercrime increased significantly once again in 2024 (+34.7%): a total of 59,034 cases were reported. The majority (93.9%) relates to cyber-economic crime, with phishing cases (+56.2%) and a sharp rise in the misuse of online payment systems/credit cards and misuse of another person's identity (+104.8%). A significant proportion of the latter is due to the increase in violations of Article 179decies StGB (misuse of identity), which has been in force since September 1, 2023.
"Digitalization has also led to a paradigm shift in certain areas of crime. It is therefore essential to respond to this development with specialization and a continuous updating of resources and skills," says KKPKS President Cocchi.
Certain criminal offenses under the Criminal Code are predominantly committed digitally. This is the case with money laundering, where 88.1% of cases involve a cyber offense. The same applies to pornography (85.9%), fraud (80%) and unauthorized data procurement (82.2%).
