Germany recorded 85,837 politically motivated crimes (politisch motivierte Kriminalität, PMK) in 2025. It is the highest total since the statistics began in 2001. The number of crimes rose approximately 2% compared to 2024.
The number of politically motivated violent crimes also rose in 2025. There were 4,156 violent offences recorded. That is up by 1.2% compared with the previous year.
Right-wing politically motivated crime remains the largest single category. It accounts for 42,544 offences, or roughly half of all PMK cases. This shows a slight overall decline compared to 2024’s figure of 42,788. However, violent offences within this category rose by more than 7%.
Left-wing politically motivated crime (PMK-links) rose sharply. Recorded offences increased by over 35% to 13,490 cases. That is up from 9,971 in 2024. Violent left-wing offences rose even more steeply by over 42%. It climbed from 762 cases in 2024 to 1,087 cases in 2025.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that right-wing extremism represents the single largest current threat. He also noted the sharp rise in left-wing violence.
Antisemitism, hate crimes, and crimes against minority groups in Germany
Hate crimes (Hasskriminalität) are offences motivated by prejudice against particular groups. It reached 22,159 cases in 2025. That is up from 21,773 in 2024. Around one-third of all these hate crimes were committed online.
Antisemitic crimes rose by 5.0% to 6,548 cases. According to the BMI, 47.2% of antisemitic offences were linked to the Middle East conflict.
Crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people increased by 12.8% to 2,377 cases. It continued a multi-year upward trend.
Crimes targeting women rose by 46.8% to 819 offences. It set a new record.
Xenophobic crimes remained at a similar level to 2024, with 19,484 cases recorded. About 73.7% of xenophobic offences were attributed to right-wing perpetrators.
Crimes against officials and police in Germany
Crimes against elected officials and public servants fell slightly. It decreased from 6,059 in 2024 to 5,797 cases in 2025. However, the BKA notes the actual figure is likely significantly higher due to underreporting.
In contrast, crimes against police increased by 4.7% to 5,144 cases. Around one-third of these cases were attributed to the left-wing PMK category. Violent offences against police from the left-wing category rose by approximately 45% to 535 cases.
Social media and hybrid threats in Germany
The BKA identified social media as a key driver of political polarisation and radicalisation. Hate, incitement, and propaganda spread via social platforms. It the worst cases, this leads to serious criminal acts.
There is also a rise in hybrid threats targeting Germany from abroad. This includes cyberattacks, espionage, sabotage, and state-sponsored terrorist activity.
