The Higher Internal Security Council met today, where the Annual Report on Internal Security  (RASI) for 2025 was presented.

Violent and serious crimes reported dropped 1,6%, while overall crime reported increased by 3.1%. This rise is mostly due to the types of crime relating to a reinforcement of control by the authorities and greater law enforcement proactivity in areas such as road offences, the seizing of prohibited weapons, disobedience, and others.

Throughout the last decade, Portugal hasn’t recorded significant oscillations, a trend backed by the 2025 RASI.

In 2025, the country remains overall safe, although with indicators that merit some attention.

We note the following main indicators:

Overall crime

• A 3.1% rise due in part to greater proactivity in terms of detecting and preventing unlawful behaviour

• Crimes against property: 50.5% of the total crimes

• Crimes against people: 25% of the total crimes

• Theft is still the most reported offense

Largest drop: warranty or credit abuse (-17.8%)

Increases in:

• Driving under the influence = 1.2 g/l

• Driving without a valid permit

• Fraud in buying/renting property

Violent and serious crime

• A 1.6% drop (˜ 4% of total crimes reported)

• Theft accounts for 61.6% of all violent crimes

• Drops in some types of theft

• A rise in crimes of resistance and bullying of workers

Other indicators

• Rape: the highest number of the last decade

• Domestic violence: down for the third year running

• -1.9% (29,644 reports)

• 69% are female victims

• Greatest incidence: Lisbon, Porto, and Setúbal

Drug trafficking

• A rise in reports, arrests, and seizures

• A growth in the amounts seized (+102.6% for hash)

• Exception: heroin (-33.7%)

Aiding illegal immigration

• A rise in reports, formally accused defendants and arrests (+225%)

Economic and financial crimes

A rise in the number of investigations initiated, formally accused defendants and arrests (+154%)

Juvenile delinquency and group criminality

A drop for the first time since the pandemic

Geographical breakdown

Overall crime:

• Largest drop: The Azores

• Largest rises: Coimbra (+11%), Leiria (+10.7%), Bragança (+9,2%)

Violent and serious crimes:

• A rise in most regions

• Of note: Vila Real and Beja

• Largest drop: Portalegre (-26%)