SEE: 2023 police crime figures for France

Cases of homicide, sexual assault, burglary and vehicle theft increased while those of unarmed theft and unarmed violent crime dropped

The number of reported crimes increased in 2023, but the rate of increase was lower than in 2021-2022

Frederic Legrand - COMEO / Shutterstock / Visactu

Richard Henshell Richard Henshell

Published Monday 26 February 2024 - 07:00 Modified Monday 26 February 2024 - 07:00

The number of reported crimes for many offences increased in 2023, including for homicide, sexual assault, burglary and vehicle theft, according to data from the Ministry of Interior.

The Police nationale and gendarmerie recorded a rise in most - but not all - types of crime over the course of 2023, and while the numbers were higher than they were for 2022, the rate of the increase was less than between 2021 and 2022.

The greatest increase was for assault and battery, continuing a worrying trend that started in 2017 that particularly concerns violence in families. While overall cases of assault and battery increased by 7%, within family units it increased by 9%.

Similarly, there were significant increases in the number of cases of homicide (5%), attempted murder (13%), and sexual assault (8%).

However drug trafficking, unarmed theft and unarmed violent crime dropped (-1%, -3% and -8% respectively)

French crime figures for 2023:

Nationally, the homicide rate in mainland France was highest in Bouches-du-Rhône (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), where there were 4.1 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.

This rate is far above the national average of 1.5 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.