Eurostat reports 2024 homicide rate trends across European Union member states

According to newly released Eurostat data, Lithuania recorded the highest homicide rate in the European Union in 2024, with 2.63 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This figure follows Latvia at 2.40 and Estonia at 1.82 cases per 100,000 residents. Conversely, the lowest rates were observed in Luxembourg at 0.30, followed by Italy at 0.57 and the Czech Republic at 0.63.

In Cyprus, the homicide rate was recorded at 0.93 per 100,000 inhabitants for 2024, representing a decrease from the 1.17 rate reported in 2014. Despite Lithuania maintaining the highest current rate in the bloc, Eurostat notes that the country experienced the most significant long-term improvement, with its homicide figures falling by more than half compared to the data recorded a decade ago.

The report examines physical safety across the EU by comparing police-recorded homicide statistics relative to national population sizes over a ten-year period from 2014 to 2024. These findings highlight diverse trends in violent crime metrics across different member states, illustrating varying degrees of progress in enhancing public safety and security within the European Union.