Sweden's National Crime Survey reveals a rise in fraud, but a decline in sexual offenses and bike thefts in 2023.
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| New report highlights a drop in bike thefts and sexual offenses in Sweden, but fraud continues to climb. Symbolic Image |
Stockholm, Sweden --- October 16, 2024:
Sweden has seen an increase in fraud while rates of sex crimes and bike thefts have decreased, according to the latest report from The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå). The report, part of Brå's yearly National Crime Survey (NCS), assesses the Swedish public's exposure to crime and their perceptions of safety.
The survey, which examines 13 types of crime, revealed that fraud was the only crime category to increase in 2023. Specifically, incidents of card and credit fraud rose from 3.7% in 2022 to 4.3% in 2023, and sales fraud climbed from 6.1% to 6.9%. This marks a continuing rise in fraud, which has been a growing issue since 2016.
On the other hand, fewer people reported being victims of sexual offenses, threats, and bike thefts last year. Sexual crimes, in particular, saw a notable decrease, from 4.7% in 2022 to 3.8% in 2023, continuing a downward trend that began in 2018. Meanwhile, the percentage of households experiencing bike thefts dropped from 10% to 9.4%.
The survey also highlighted differences in fear of crime across demographics. Overall concern about crime dropped slightly, with 50% of respondents expressing worry in 2024, compared to 53% in 2023. People born in Sweden showed more concern about crime than immigrants, with 52% of Swedish-born respondents worried compared to 43% of those born outside Sweden. Young people aged 16-19 were the least concerned, with only 33% reporting worry.
Additionally, women continue to report higher rates of sexual offenses and harassment, with 6.3% of women affected by sexual crimes in 2023 compared to 1% of men. Despite these figures, overall exposure to crime has generally decreased across most categories over recent years.
The survey also explored public worry about specific crimes. Online fraud remains a primary concern, particularly among women, 41% of whom reported being quite or very worried. Additionally, women continue to feel more unsafe than men when going out at night in their neighborhoods, though this concern has been decreasing since 2020.
Brå's report provides insight into Sweden's evolving crime landscape, indicating a continued rise in fraud despite overall decreases in exposure to other crimes.