2024 marks a new increase in crimes reported in Italy, with a +1.7% compared to the previous year. After the decline due to the pandemic period, petty crime has started to grow again, even exceeding 2018 levels. According to data released by the Interior Ministry and analyzed by Sun 24 Hoursthe crimes reported during the year were 2.38 million, a number that confirms the post-Covid upward trend.
Where the problem is concentrated: the big cities at the center
The large cities remain the most affected: Milan, Florence and Rome remain at the top of the 2024 Crime Index, followed by Bologna, Rimini and Turin. 23.5% of the crimes detected are concentrated in these three metropolises alone.
| Rank | City | Crimes per 100,000 inhabitants | Total crimes | Change 2024/2023 |
| 1st | Milan | 6,952.3 | 225,786 | –2.00% ▼ |
| 2nd | Florence | 6,507.8 | 64,392 | +7.40% ▲ |
| 3rd | Rome | 6,401.9 | 270,407 | +5.29% ▲ |
| 4th | Bologna | 6,055.3 | 61,816 | +9.59% ▲ |
| 5th | Rimini | 5,995.6 | 20,425 | +0.03% ▲ |
Almost 48% of national crimes are concentrated in the 14 metropolitan cities, despite the fact that only 36% of the population lives there. This double effect is due to three related factors: high population density, large influx of tourists and commuters, and multiple criminal opportunities connected to urban life (transport, nightlife, commerce).
Theft and drugs on the rise, cybercrime falling
Thefts are especially growing, representing 44% of total reports. In detail, there was a +4.9% for home thefts, +2.3% for car thefts and +1.7% for muggings. Drug-related crimes (+3.9%) and violence (+7.5%) are also on the rise, a sign of social unease that continues to manifest itself on city streets.
Contraband, however, are smuggling (-38%), fires (-5.3%) and IT scams (-6.5%), which after years of growth show a sharp slowdown. A result perhaps due to the new combat strategies introduced by the 2025 Security Decree, which has tightened penalties and introduced new types of crime.
Minors and foreigners among those reported: social alarm grows
In 2024, over 828 thousand people were reported or arrested, with an increase of 4% on 2023. One trend is particularly worrying: the growth of minors involved, +16% in just one year and +30% compared to the pre-pandemic period. A quarter of young people arrested for robbery are under 18.
Also noteworthy is the increase in reported foreigners (287,396), who represent over a third of the total and reach much higher shares (over 60%) in some predatory crimes such as muggings and sleight of hand thefts.
Milan, Rome and Florence at the center of the phenomenon
Milan remains the city with the highest rate of crimes, almost 7,000 per 100 thousand inhabitants, followed by Florence and Rome, where reports grew by 7.4% and 5.9% respectively. In Bologna, however, there was a record of 701 robberies in public streets, or +34%, the highest figure since 2006. In Florence, skillful thefts increased by 48%.
A reality which, according to researchers, reflects not only the increase in incidents, but also a greater propensity to report and more detailed controls. However, one message remains clear: in large Italian cities, urban safety remains one of the most urgent challenges of 2025.
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