Violence is often drug-related, particularly in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and France.
ADVERTISEMENTA February briefing by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) has warned that gang violence is increasing across the EU, a phenomenon linked to “escalating competition between rival criminal groups”.
One of the most concerning trends is the recruitment of minors into organised crime and terrorism groups, which recently prompted countries like Sweden to introduce legislation to wiretap children under the age of 15, in an effort to block a wave in bombings – at least 36 since the beginning of 2025.
According to the latest Eurostat data, 10% of EU citizens reported experiencing crime, violence or vandalism in their local area, 12.3% if we consider the segment of people at risk of poverty.
“Even though Europe is still one of the continents least affected by organised crime, criminal networks are expected to increase their global reach, become more fluid and digitalised, and thus more open to diversity and competition”, said the briefing, adding that “this may, in turn, lead to even more organised crime-related violence.”.
In general, the highest rates of people reporting local violence, crime or vandalism were found in Greece (20.9%), the Netherlands (16.7%), Bulgaria (15.6%), France (14.7%), Spain (13.6%) and Belgium (12.5%).
Greece, in particular, has experienced a surge in football fan violence in recent years, which led to lengthy stadium closures and new measures tightening fan club regulation and tickets.
On the other end of the spectrum, Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Estonia emerged as the safest countries, all reporting local crime rates below 5%.
