Switzerland’s overall crime dips in 2025 as serious violence rises, often in private settings

Switzerland registered a slight decline in overall crime in 2025, even as violent offenses continued to rise and the gravest acts increasingly occurred behind closed doors, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday. Police crime statistics show 554,963 registered offenses in 2025, a small decrease from the previous year driven largely by fewer property crimes.

In contrast, violent crime continued an upward trend, with nearly 50,000 cases recorded. The FSO reported a marked increase in serious violent offenses compared with 2024. Homicides were above the long-term average, with 55 cases counted. More than half of these killings occurred within partnerships or families, and victims were predominantly women—a pattern particularly evident in relationship crimes.

While violence rose, the most common offenses continued to move downward. Thefts remained the largest category but declined overall, with especially sharp drops in vehicle break-ins and pickpocketing. Fraud and damage to property were also recorded less frequently than a year earlier.

Digital crime remained a key concern. Authorities logged more than 57,000 cyber-related cases, with online fraud making up the largest share. Older people were particularly frequently affected. The FSO highlighted sextortion—blackmail using images or video—as a specific phenomenon that mainly targets men, with a significant portion of victims being minors.

Police registered more than 92,000 accused persons in 2025. Swiss nationals made up the largest proportion, followed by members of the permanent foreign resident population. The figures for Swiss nationals were stable, while some other groups saw slight increases.

The data underscore a divergence: traditional property offenses are falling, even as serious violence and online scams persist, according to the FSO.