Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer called Germany "one of the safest countries in the world" when presenting the police crime statistics in 2018. According to him, less than one percent of the population has already been the victim of serious offenses.
"Of course every offense is one too many, but objectively this is the lowest value in decades," Seehofer said, referring to the 5.55 million registered crimes committed last year. Compared with 2017, the number of offenses known to the police declined by 3.6 percent. However, these figures do not allow any clear conclusions about the actual crime rate because it is unclear how many offenses are not even reported.
Despite the falling number sees Seehofer still no reason for the all-clear. "The numbers are encouraging, but it's not a sustainable success," he said. The feeling of insecurity has increased among many citizens. That must change. This could "only succeed if we continue to improve the personnel and equipment of the security authorities."