WESTERN EUROPE — A YouGov poll found that Western Europeans largely perceive crime to be rising in their home countries, despite overall crime rates decreasing since 2000. Online fraud incidents have increased across Western Europe. France's annual murder victim tally recently exceeded 1,000 for the first time in two decades.

Between 53% and 80% of respondents across Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy believed crime was increasing in their home countries. Specifically, 52% of those in Denmark and 59% in Britain thought violent crime had increased. This perception was higher in Italy and France, where 76% and 77% of respondents, respectively, believed violent crime had risen. Despite these perceptions, murder rates in Western Europe have generally declined since 2000, with rates in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain falling by 30% to over 50% since the late 1990s. For example, Italy recorded 1,917 murders in 1991, which decreased to 327 murders in 2024. France's murder rate was approximately 2.3 per 100,000 people in 1995 and is currently about 1.4 per 100,000 people.

Recent increases in some violent crimes in France and Germany have been linked to drug trafficking. France has experienced an increase in gang-related drug violence and reported cases of sexual and domestic violence. The YouGov poll surveyed respondents in Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain regarding crime and policing. 44% of respondents in France believed crime in their country was worse than in other countries. In comparison, 27% in Germany and 11% in Denmark held this view. 37% of respondents in Denmark felt crime was lower in their country than in others.

Regarding specific crime types, 60% of respondents in Britain thought the U.K. suffered from a uniquely high rate of knife crime. 40% of respondents in Germany and between 24% and 30% in other surveyed countries believed their nation had a high rate of knife crime. In France, 61% of respondents felt drug trafficking and distribution were more problematic than elsewhere, and 42% believed rioting and public disorder were more problematic. In other countries, 56% of respondents in Spain and 46% in Italy said corruption was more of a problem than elsewhere. Only 7% of respondents in Denmark shared this view, identifying financial and economic crime as their most common crime problem. Additionally, 41% of respondents in Italy thought their country had a specific problem with organized crime, while between 16% and 32% in other surveyed nations agreed. Between 23% and 25% of respondents in Germany felt drug trafficking and gang violence were less of a problem in their country than in others.

Confidence in national police also varied among the surveyed countries. 74% of respondents in Denmark expressed a lot or a fair amount of confidence in their national police. Between 57% and 64% of respondents in Spain, France, Germany, and Italy reported similar levels of confidence. In Britain, 43% of respondents expressed a lot or a fair amount of confidence in the police nationally, while 53% indicated little confidence.