Austria Records Highest-Ever Number of Knife Crimes
23rd August 2025
Austria witnessed a record surge in knife-related crime in 2024, with official statistics revealing the highest number of incidents in at least a decade.
According to figures, there were 2,596 reported cases of stabbings or knife threats across the country last year, marking a sharp rise from previous years and fuelling concerns about public safety.
The Austrian capital has emerged as the centre of the crisis. Social democrat-controlled Vienna alone accounted for 1,121 of the incidents, making it by far the most dangerous region for knife attacks.
In stark contrast, the lowest figures were recorded in Burgenland, where just 44 such crimes were reported, followed by Carinthia with 90 cases.
Police data show that knife crime had been declining steadily up until 2020, when only 822 offences involving stabbing weapons were recorded nationwide.
But since then, the numbers have risen year on year. By 2024, the tally had not only returned to the 2015 level of 1,061 cases—it had more than doubled that figure.