According to data provided by the Federal Ministry of the Interior in response to a parliamentary inquiry, the number of crimes committed against homeless people saw a nearly 17 percent rise compared to the previous year, specifically in 2025. Overall, 2,563 such incidents were recorded in 2025, significantly higher than the nearly 2,200 crimes documented in both 2023 and 2024.
The majority of these cases involved men, with over 2,000 incidents targeting homeless men, while roughly 500 cases affected women. Geographically, Berlin reported the highest number of victims (592 cases), followed by Bavaria (492 cases), and North Rhine-Westphalia (310 cases).
The data also indicates that the clearance rate for crimes against homeless individuals is generally lower than the average for all crimes. Specifically, the clearance rate for acts of violence against the homeless stood at 66.5 percent last year, compared to a general clearance rate of 77.5 percent.
Sahra Mirow, a Member of the Bundestag and spokesperson for the Left party’s faction on social housing, stated to the newspaper that they are currently witnessing an “unprecedented escalation of violence against homeless people on our streets.” She warned that the more than 2,500 crimes officially registered only represent the tip of the iceberg. Due to the low willingness of victims to report crimes, alongside imprecise data collection criteria and definitions by authorities, there must be a significant amount of hidden crime and much higher actual figures. Mirow stressed that a life without private protection means constant exposure in public spaces-physically, socially, and legally-adding that effective protection begins with obtaining one’s own housing.
Separately, Minister for Housing, Verena Hubertz (SPD), recently reaffirmed her commitment to overcoming homelessness by the year 2030. Speaking to the newspaper in early June, she acknowledged that this task is a “mammoth undertaking and a concerted effort that we want to commit to.”
