Germany: crime and justice

How many people are in prison in Germany?

43,971 people were serving prison sentences or held in preventive detention in Germany on 31 March 2025, according to the Destatis statistical report on prisons for 2025 (published 26 January 2026). That compares with 43,746 a year earlier and 63,533 in 2005. 41,366 were men and 2,603 women; 40,662 were serving adult prison sentences.

The count is taken each year on 31 March and covers sentenced prisoners only; people held on remand awaiting trial are counted separately. The Destatis justice statistics page links to the full report and the GENESIS-Online tables by state, age and offence.

Official sources: Destatis: statistical report, prisons 2025 (xlsx) · Destatis: justice statistics

How many prisoners in Germany are foreign nationals?

16,877 of the 43,971 sentenced prisoners and preventive detainees in Germany on 31 March 2025 held a foreign nationality, about 38%, according to the Destatis statistical report on prisons for 2025. In 2015 the figure was 13,273 out of 52,412, about 25%. The number of German prisoners fell over the same period, from 39,139 to 27,094.

Nationality is recorded at the time of the count. The figures do not show where people lived before prison, and they exclude remand prisoners. The report includes a table of foreign prisoners by country of nationality.

Official sources: Destatis: statistical report, prisons 2025 (xlsx)

How many people are convicted of crimes in Germany?

About 632,100 people were convicted by German criminal courts with a final judgment in 2024, about 24,800 or 4% fewer than in 2023, according to the Destatis justice statistics page (press release of 15 December 2025). 3% of those convicted were juveniles.

The prosecution statistics count people convicted, not offences, and record each person under their most serious offence. They are much lower than the number of crimes recorded by police, because many cases are dropped, settled with a fine order or never solved. Destatis also reports that public prosecutors had 950,900 investigations still open at the end of 2024.

Official sources: Destatis: justice statistics

What is the murder rate in Germany?

Germany recorded 0.91 intentional homicides per 100,000 people in 2023, up from 0.82 in 2022, according to UNODC figures published in the World Bank's intentional homicides indicator. That is roughly 760 victims a year for a population of about 83.5 million.

UNODC counts victims of unlawful killing intended to cause death or serious injury, using data supplied by national authorities, so its figures can differ from Germany's police crime statistics, which also count attempted killings. The police statistics are compiled by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and published each spring; its website could not be reached for this answer on 14 October 2026.

Official sources: World Bank: intentional homicides per 100,000 people, Germany

Where are Germany's crime statistics published?

Germany's main crime figures are the police crime statistics (Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik, PKS), compiled by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) from reports by state police forces and published each spring for the previous year. The BKA website could not be reached on 14 October 2026, so no PKS figure is given here. The Destatis justice statistics page lists police crime statistics among the topics in its GENESIS-Online database, alongside court and prison statistics.

The PKS counts offences known to police and suspects identified, not convictions. It excludes most traffic offences and crimes against state security, and changes in reporting or police activity can move the numbers.

Official sources: Destatis: justice statistics

What is the homicide rate in Germany?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the intentional homicide rate in Germany was 0.9 per 100,000 in 2023. Its high point since 2005 was 2005, at 1.3 per 100,000; its low point was 2019, at 0.7 per 100,000. It is 19th highest of 35 in Europe & Central Asia, where the median is 1.0 per 100,000. Of 79 countries with 2023 data, 56th highest.

What is the female homicide rate in Germany?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the homicide rate for women in Germany was 0.9 per 100,000 in 2023. The peak was 1.1 per 100,000 in 2016 and the low 0.7 per 100,000 in 2019. It is 10th highest of 36 in Europe & Central Asia, where the median is 0.7 per 100,000. World rank, highest first: 42nd of 78.

How many men are murdered in Germany?

0.9 per 100,000: that is the homicide rate for men in Germany for 2023, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Its high point since 2005 was 2005, at 1.5 per 100,000; its low point was 2022, at 0.8 per 100,000. It is 25th highest of 36 in Europe & Central Asia, where the median is 1.3 per 100,000. World rank, highest first: 62nd of 78.