Almost half of individuals suspected of violent crimes in Germany are foreign nationals, according to police data.
As per the annual report from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), there was a slight decline in violent crimes in Germany in 2025—down by 2.3% from the year prior. Still, non-German suspects accounted for a notable 42.9% of these offenses.
Data from various federal states indicates similar findings. The newspaper Wert am Sonntag reported that in regions like Bavaria, Berlin, and Baden-Württemberg, around 50% of those suspected of violent crimes were foreigners, a rate significantly higher than their representation in the population, with only 15% lacking a German passport.
While this information pertains only to suspects, it serves as one of the few methods to gauge the criminal activity among different ethnic groups in the nation.
Furthermore, it seems certain groups are disproportionately suspected of violent crimes—Afghans, for instance, are suspected at a rate 14 times higher than Germans, while Syrians are 16 times more likely.
Yet, it’s important to consider that immigrants who gain German citizenship, along with their children, are counted as residents, possibly widening the perceived gap even more.
Numerous factors contribute to this disparity. Young male immigrants might exhibit higher crime rates, but the data suggests that gender alone does not account for all the variations.
Interestingly, the report noted that Berlin had more female suspects from Afghanistan (569) and Syria (539) compared to male German suspects (387).
Despite an overall decline in violent crime, some specific offenses, particularly sexual crimes, have risen. The BKA reported a 9% increase in rape incidents in 2025 relative to the previous year, with a staggering 72% rise in rape suspects since 2018.
Most notably, immigrants represent 38.5% of rape suspects, even though they comprise only 22.3% of victims.
Sascha Rensing, a member of the anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, commented that “the number of non-German suspects is not a minor issue; it plays a crucial role, especially regarding public violence.”
On the other side, Joachim Hermann, Bavaria’s interior minister from the Christian Social Union (CSU) party, pointed to a “clear connection to the high levels of immigration in recent years” and insisted that anyone without a right to remain or who undermines societal values should be expelled from the country.
