Almost 47 percent of all crime suspects in Austria last year were non-Austrian, according to newly released police statistics for 2024.
A total of 335,911 suspects were investigated, with the largest groups of foreign nationals coming from Romania, Germany, and Syria. Syrian suspects alone saw the steepest increase, rising nearly 30 percent compared to the previous year.
Figures pertaining to German suspects are often skewed, given the fact that naturalized foreign-born nationals are categorized as German in crime reports. Similarly, naturalized foreigners living in Austria will not be included in the “foreign” category, suggesting the number of foreign-born suspects is likely to be much higher than 47 percent.
The data, presented by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner on Monday, revealed a total of 534,193 reported criminal cases in 2024 — up 1.2 percent from 2023. Of particular concern, the report highlights a significant surge in juvenile delinquency, which Karner described as a “massive” problem.
As reported by Kurier, Criminal reports involving children aged 10 to 14 have doubled in recent years, reaching 12,049 in 2024. The proportion of non-Austrian suspects in this age group stands at 48 percent. Karner said reports involving Syrian minors had “practically increased tenfold,” jumping from 150 in 2020 to around 1,000 last year.
“You have to address the facts clearly and distinctly. The number of complaints by Syrian suspects stands out,” Karner said.
Among older minors (aged 14-18), the number of criminal reports rose to 34,806. The figures show minors are increasingly involved in burglaries and property damage, with police linking a growing share of car and vending machine break-ins to children and teenagers.
Dieter Csefan, head of organized and general crime at the Federal Criminal Police Office (BK), warned of a sharp rise in so-called “system crashers” — minors committing dozens of crimes each month. Three such offenders were responsible for more than 3,000 criminal complaints in total, with the top individual linked to over 1,200 offenses.
“The three alone are responsible for 28 percent of the crimes committed by under 18-year-olds in burglaries,” Csefan noted.
Karner echoed concerns expressed by Csefan that measures taken against minors are often voluntary and acknowledged that while his proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility was not included in the government’s legislative program, alternative measures such as expanding secure accommodation for repeat juvenile offenders had been suggested.
Such a move was even endorsed by the liberal Neos party, which called for secure facilities for reoffending migrants with a focus on rehabilitation and education.
“If 12-year-olds repeatedly injure others or endanger themselves, we must take responsibility,” said Vienna deputy mayor Bettina Emmerling.
Karner also proposed a sharp increase in penalties for truancy, suggesting the current €400 fine for parents be raised to €2,000 in cases of persistent absences from school.
The overall clearance rate for 2024 was 52.9 percent, one of the highest in the past decade. Residential burglaries declined, but break-ins targeting cars and vending machines rose by 25 percent — a trend attributed largely to youth crime.
Cybercrime remained high but stable, with a 5 percent decrease compared to 2023. BK Director Andreas Holzer credited improved public awareness but emphasized the need for further investment in digital forensics and police powers, particularly for messaging app surveillance.
Homicide figures showed a slight decrease, with 76 victims (36 women, 40 men). Holzer noted that violence against public officials and politically motivated crime often stemmed from a small number of habitual offenders.
Following the announcement of the crime stats, FPÖ Vienna leader Dominik Nepp renewed calls to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 12 and pressed for stricter immigration controls. ÖVP Vienna chair Karl Mahrer criticized the city’s welfare and migration policies, claiming they act as a “magnet” for criminal activity.