The proportion of adults in Ireland who said they had experienced personal crime rose from 10% in 2019 to 19% in 2025, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Over the same period, the share of personal crime victims who reported incidents to gardaí fell from 39% to 30%.
Published today, September 14th 2026, the Crime and Victimisation 2025 report also found increases in household, farm and vehicle crime, compared with the previous survey.
Fraud affected 11% of respondents, up from 4% in 2019. Card payment fraud was the most common form, affecting 45% of fraud victims.
Non-violent theft affected 8% of adults, twice the 2019 proportion, with Dublin recording the highest rate at 11%. Violent theft increased from 2% to 3%, while physical assault rose from 2% to 4%. These categories can overlap because respondents may have experienced more than one type of crime.
Households also reported more experiences of burglary or vandalism, including attempts. The proportion affected increased from 4% to 5%, while the share reporting household crime to gardaí declined from 59% to 47%.
Among households that did not report some or all incidents and gave a reason, 40% considered the incident insufficiently serious or said they had suffered no loss. That was down from 47% in 2019. A belief that Gardaí could not or would not act was cited by 56%; with respondents selecting more than one reason.
Farm crime affected more than a quarter of farming households. Some 26% said their farm had experienced crime, compared with 21% in 2019. Incidents included trespassing, stolen farm goods and damage to property.
For vehicle owners and users, 4% experienced theft or attempted theft of their vehicle, up from 3%. Dublin had the highest rate at 10%, while the corresponding rates in the Border, Midland and West regions were no higher than 2%.
Bicycle theft and attempted theft, including incidents involving e-bikes, remained unchanged nationally at 5%. Dublin’s rate was substantially higher at 12%.
Concern about personal safety increased. In 2025, 23% of adults worried often or all the time about becoming a victim of crime causing physical injury or harm, compared with 15% in 2019. This concern was expressed by 29% of women and 17% of men. Nevertheless, 85% of respondents felt very or fairly safe walking in their local area, alone or accompanied.
Assessments of policing and justice also weakened. The proportion who considered Gardaí very or quite effective at tackling local crime fell from 68% to 57%. Confidence in the wider justice system’s ability to bring offenders to justice declined from 46% to 43%.
The survey collected 7,654 valid responses from a selected sample of 15,000 households, a response rate of 51%. Interviews took place during the second and third quarters of 2025.
The figures reflect adults’ experiences during the 12 months before their interview, rather than the calendar year alone. They provide survey estimates of victimisation that complement Garda-recorded crime statistics.
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