In 2024, Austrian police identified approximately 336,000 crime suspects, marking a significant increase from 255,815 in 2014.
Foreign nationals accounted for 46.8 percent of these suspects, totaling around 157,000 individuals. This figure represents a record high for foreign involvement in reported crimes.
Among foreign suspects in 2024, Romanians topped the list with about 18,900 individuals identified by authorities.
Germans followed in second place with 13,600 suspects, while Syrians ranked third at 11,868. Serbs came next with 11,688, and Afghans placed eighth with 6,320 suspects.
These statistics encompass all crimes, ranging from theft to violent offenses. In 2014, foreigners made up 89,594 of the total suspects, showing a rise in their proportional involvement over the decade.
Austria’s overall population grew to 9.2 million by January 2025, with non-Austrian citizens numbering 1.86 million, or about 20 percent.
Knife-related incidents, including stabbings and threats, reached 2,596 cases in 2024, up from 1,996 in 2014. This marked the highest level in the observed period. By contrast, firearm crimes declined sharply from 672 in 2014 to 352 in 2024.
Vienna reported the most knife incidents in 2024 at 1,121 cases. Upper Austria followed with 345, Styria with 274, and Lower Austria with 273. Burgenland had the fewest at 44, while Carinthia recorded 90.
As of January 1, 2025, Austria’s prisons held 5,121 foreign nationals and 4,536 Austrians. Foreigners comprised over half of the inmate population, despite representing roughly 20 percent of residents. By July 2025, the foreign share stood at 52.8 percent.
Immigration trends show Austria received 93,000 new long-term immigrants in 2022, a 22 percent increase from 2021.
In 2023, foreign suspects numbered 150,500, or 46 percent of total suspects. Germans formed the largest non-citizen group at 239,500 as of early 2025.
Austria’s homicide rate remained low at 0.97 per 100,000 in 2018, reflecting broader safety trends amid rising suspect numbers.
Judicial convictions provide further insight into criminal justice outcomes. These data exclude unreported cases, which may affect overall assessments.
These figures paint a stark picture of Austria’s evolving security challenges amid rising immigration. Foreign nationals, though a minority of the population, now dominate prison cells and suspect lists.
As knife crimes surge in urban hubs like Vienna, policymakers face mounting pressure to prioritize public safety over open-door approaches.
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