The increase in crime in Albania during 2025 is confirmed by the latest INSTAT data, which show a significant expansion in both the number of criminal offenses and their profile. According to the official report, 38,345 criminal offenses were recorded last year, an increase of 17.4% compared to 2024, signaling a deterioration in the security situation and greater pressure on the justice system.
In the same vein, the number of suspected perpetrators has also increased, reaching 45,334 people (+13.2%), while the number of injured persons increased by 7.8%, to 19,145. The structure of perpetrators remains stable, with a male predominance (93.3%) and a concentration in the 30-44 age group, which shows that criminality continues to be strongly linked to the most active segment of the population in the labor market.
However, the picture becomes more interesting when analyzing Figure 1 of the report, which presents the percentage changes in types of criminal offenses for the period 2025-2024. This figure shows a clear shift in criminality towards several specific categories.
The strongest increase is recorded for “stalking”, with an expansion of 69%, reflecting a significant increase in cases related to psychological violence and interpersonal conflicts. Similarly, high increases are observed for crimes against health (+27.4%), drug crimes (+26.6%) and arms trafficking (+26.1%), indicating an intensification of high-risk criminality and possible links to organized activities.
At the same time, economic and financial crimes also show an increasing trend. Fraud increased by 16.3%, laundering of proceeds of crime by 11.1% and counterfeiting of currencies by 8.8%. This shows that, in addition to traditional crime, more sophisticated crime, related to the economy and technology, is also expanding.
On the other hand, some categories have marked significant declines. Robbery and cybercrime have decreased by about -18.9% and -18.8%, respectively, while corruption has marked a decrease of -8.6%. There has also been a decrease in providing assistance for illegal border crossing (-6.3%) and in attempted murders (-4.8%). These developments may be related to changes in reporting, police priorities or the shift of criminal activity towards other forms.
In terms of criminal justice, the data show a system that is facing a high volume of cases. In 2025, 27,049 criminal proceedings were registered (+8.5%), but only 42.5% of them ended with a referral for trial, while the rest were dismissed or suspended. This structure raises questions about the efficiency of investigations and the capacity of the system to bring criminal cases to a conclusion.
Meanwhile, the number of prisoners remains almost unchanged, at 4,503 people (+0.3%), which suggests that the increase in crime has not been proportionally reflected in more prison sentences.
Overall, the 2025 data show not only an overall increase in crime, but also a transformation of its structure. The shift towards crimes related to interpersonal violence, drugs and financial activities indicates a higher complexity of the phenomenon, which requires more targeted policies and a more efficient institutional response. /ekofin.al
