Deutsche Welle debunks a viral graphic falsely claiming Berlin’s crime rate exceeds Poland’s, highlighting incompatible methodologies.
Misleading Graphic Circulates
A graphic circulated on social media claims “Berlin is drowning in crime. One city worse than all of Poland,” suggesting open borders as a cause. It compares Berlin’s 539,049 reported crimes to Poland’s 440,239 figures. The graphic, shared on Facebook, TikTok, and X, has since been removed from some profiles.
While Berlin has high crime, the comparison is invalid due to differing statistical categories.
Incompatible Statistical Methods
The graphic conflates Germany’s total police reports with Poland’s “initiated preliminary proceedings” (440,239). In Berlin, any reported crime is counted immediately, even if later deemed baseless for investigation. Poland’s 440,239 figure represents only criminal investigations started, not all reported crimes.
Poland’s total crime figure for 2024 is actually higher, at approximately 791,000, representing “confirmed crimes.” This is still narrower than Germany’s category but closer to the Berlin figure.
Differing Definitions of Crime
German and Polish statistics use fundamentally different crime definitions. Berlin includes violations like asylum law breaches (e.g., leaving assigned residence without permission), numbering around 23,500 in 2024. Poland has no such crime category for asylum seekers. Similarly, thefts under €200 (approx. 800 złoty) are petty offenses in Poland but crimes in Germany, inflating Berlin’s figures.
Youth crime definitions also differ: Germany includes offenses by those under 14 in overall stats, while Poland excludes them from main totals. Private complaints (e.g., minor assaults) are included in German crime stats but not Polish criminal ones.
Immigrant Involvement Misrepresented
Right-wing media claim immigrants are responsible. However, German stats list “suspects,” not convictions. In Berlin, foreigners constitute less than half of suspects (over 56% are German nationals). Nationwide, foreigners account for about 34% of suspects. Berlin stats don’t specify foreign nationalities, but national data show Romanians, Poles, and Syrians proportionally represented.
Immigrant status isn’t distinguished; the group includes temporary residents, tourists, and those without confirmed addresses.
Berlin vs. Poland Safety Rankings
Berlin is less safe than Warsaw but not among Europe’s most dangerous. In the 2024 Numbeo crime ranking (153 European cities), Warsaw was 112th, Berlin 49th. Łódź (58th) uses the same crime methodology as Poland’s national stats, placing it near Berlin.
Berlin’s crime rate peaked 20 years ago; its structure has changed, with more youth involvement, a broader trend.
