Six of the nine cities in Spain with the highest crime rates are Catalan.

Insecurity in Catalonia continues to be a major problem for the region. According to the latest crime data, six of the ten cities with the highest crime rates in Spain are in Catalonia. This shows that, compared to the rest of Spain, Catalonia has a notable overrepresentation in this area.

El Prat de Llobregat leads the list with 224.72 criminal offenses per one thousand inhabitants. This figure has been alarming for authorities, since the municipality has recorded a 51% increase in crimes over the past year. Among the most common crimes, thefts stand out, with a 67% increase, vehicle thefts, which rose by 95.1%, and robberies with violence and intimidation (+19.3%).

The so-called "airport effect" has been identified as one of the main causes of the rise in crime in the area. As we've already seen over the past few months, human traffic around airport facilities has made it easier to commit crimes. Prat City Council has requested that crimes committed at the airport not be included in the statistics, since these fall under state jurisdiction.

Barcelona, the Catalan capital, is also among the cities with the highest crime rates in Spain, although with a slight improvement compared to previous years. In 2024, robberies and thefts decreased, but there were increases in crimes related to physical assaults (+8.1%), drug trafficking (+10.3%), and sexual assaults (+3.9%). Although emergency plans and the increase in patrols have borne fruit, insecurity remains a concern for citizens.

The crime map in Catalonia also includes other towns such as Sitges, Sant Adrià del Besòs, and Salou, which highlights a worrying trend in tourist municipalities. The rise in crime in these places is also related to the increase in illegal immigration and the presence of foreigners without regularized status. According to the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, a large part of the criminals in Catalonia are foreigners, which has led to a review of the security policy.

Repeat offending and Catalonia leading the way

This increase in crime coincides with another growing phenomenon: repeat offending. Catalonia has more than 3,000 repeat offenders, according to data from Mossos d'Esquadra. These individuals, who have been arrested more than three times for property crimes, make up a significant part of the security problem. Most of these criminals do not have a Spanish ID card.

The increase in crimes in Catalonia is also reflected in the country's overall figures, with the autonomous community leading the crime rate compared to other regions such as Andalusia, Madrid, and Valencia. In total, Catalonia records more than half a million crimes annually, a figure that remains alarming despite the measures taken to fight insecurity.