Croatians feel the safest in the EU, report shows

Policeman on the beat in Croatia

Croatians feel the safest in the European Union, according to the latest data from Eurostat, with only 1.4% of citizens reporting crime, violence or vandalism in their neighbourhoods.

The findings come from a new analysis of safety across Europe, which also draws on the 2025 Global Peace Index, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace.

The index measures social safety, conflict levels and militarisation. Out of 163 countries assessed worldwide, Croatia ranked 19th – ahead of both Germany and Australia.

Neighbouring Slovenia also performed strongly, placing among the top ten, while Serbia was ranked 63rd, between Kosovo and Zambia.

Europe continues to dominate the top of the index, with Iceland, Ireland, Austria and Switzerland named as the world’s most peaceful nations.

Europe in Motion recently shared findings on how people view crime, violence, and vandalism in their local areas, using data from Eurostat.

According to the survey, Croatia, Lithuania, and Poland rank as the safest countries, based on residents’ personal experiences. In Croatia, just 1.4% of people reported encountering any anti-social behaviour, while Greece recorded the highest figure at 20.9%, Euronews writes.

When it comes to homicide rates, Croatia sits in the middle of the EU table, with fewer than one murder per 100,000 inhabitants.

Luxembourg leads with the lowest rate (0.32), while the Baltic states recorded the highest: Latvia (4.88), Lithuania (3.54) and Estonia (2.78).

Interestingly, despite Lithuania’s higher homicide figures, only 2.7% of its population reported problems with crime in their neighbourhoods, placing it just behind Croatia in perceived safety. Poland came in third.

At the other end of the scale, Greece topped the list with over 20% of citizens reporting neighbourhood crime, followed by Spain on 13.6%.

While overall safety levels in Europe remain high, a report from the European Parliament Research Service earlier this year noted a rise in violence linked to organised crime across the continent.

Split

The report highlighted growing sophistication, digitalisation and international reach of criminal networks, while stressing that the EU is already taking steps to curb the trend through new legal and investigative frameworks.

For now, however, Croatians enjoy some of the highest levels of safety in Europe – both in reality and in perception.