Germany's Bremen city holds the unenviable title of the nation's most perilous metropolis.
In the heart of Germany, Bremen city has found itself in an unwanted spotlight. According to official police data and media reports, Bremen has been crowned the most dangerous city in Germany, recording the highest crime rate among major German cities in 2024.
The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) reported a total of 89,000 registered cases in Bremen, a figure that surpasses other large cities such as Frankfurt am Main and Berlin. The crime rate in Bremen stands at 15,400 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants, a figure that Esquire magazine and the BKA have both agreed upon[1].
Bremen particularly leads in predatory crimes like muggings and violent robberies, registering 194 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest in Germany. Theft-related crimes, including shoplifting, vehicle theft, and bicycle theft, also contribute significantly to Bremen's high crime statistics.
The Free Democratic Party (FDP) has labelled Bremen "the most dangerous city in Germany" based on these numbers. René Müller, spokesperson for the Senator of the Interior, confirms the accuracy of the ranking[2].
However, some critics argue that Bremen’s recorded crime rate may be somewhat inflated due to a backlog of cases being included in the 2024 data. Despite this, even after adjusting for this, Bremen still remains at the top for various types of crime. A promising note is that some crime categories, including robbery, began to decline in early 2025[2].
The CDU, Bremen's interior policy spokesperson, Marco Lübke, has been vocal about the city's crime situation. The CDU considers street crime, theft, drug scenes, vandalism, cybercrime, and extremism to be rampant in Bremen. They have been advocating for more police personnel, better police equipment, consistent law enforcement, and a firm stance against repeat offenders for years[5].
The CDU has also accused the Red-Red-Green coalition of blocking each other in implementing a new police law, using drones, combating extremism, and using AI-assisted systems for risk prevention. They believe that this has contributed to the city's current state of insecurity[6].
Senator Ulrich Maurer, pleased with the statistics from the previous year, stated that the police in Bremen reduced the backlog of cases by a quarter in the previous year. Despite the efforts of the police, the total number of criminal cases in Bremen for the year increased from 97,043 (2023) to 105,384[3].
The CDU's slogan is "We make Bremen safe." As the city grapples with its high crime rate, the CDU's promise to bring about change in Bremen's security situation remains a key election issue.
References: 1. Bremen is the most dangerous city in Germany 2. Bremen's crime statistics under scrutiny 3. Bremen's crime rate continues to rise 4. Immigration and crime correlation under debate 5. CDU's call for stronger police presence in Bremen 6. CDU criticises Red-Red-Green coalition for blocking police reforms
The Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Esquire magazine have both identified Bremen as the most dangerous city in Germany, with a crime rate exceeding that of other large cities. The CDU, on the other hand, criticizes the Red-Red-Green coalition for blocking police reforms and accuses them of contributing to Bremen's high crime rate, particularly in the areas of street crime, theft, drug scenes, vandalism, cybercrime, and extremism.
