Victim rate by selected offences

This indicator shows the share of the permanent resident population registered with the police as a result of common assault or threatening behaviour under the Swiss Criminal Code.

From an integration perspective, a decrease in the victim rate by selected offences indicates an improved situation.

Please note: The results should be interpreted with caution as no socio-economic data apart from sex and age is available in the police crime statistics (PCS). This would be important for an in-depth analysis.

Main results

The Swiss are the least often to have been registered with the police for common assault or threatening behaviour, followed by nationals of EU-28 and EFTA countries and those of other European countries. Persons with citizenship of another country in the world have the highest victim rate, regardless of the type of offence.

Trends over time

Since 2010, assault cases have decreased in all nationality groups. Cases of threatening behaviour have also decreased in most nationality groups, with the exception of citizens of EU-28 and EFTA countries, where they have slightly risen.

A victim is a natural person who has suffered physical, psychological, social or economic harm caused by an illegal act.

When interpreting the data, it should be kept in mind that the police crime statistics (PCS) only includes offences of which it has knowledge. The PCS does not contain statistics on “hidden figures”, i.e. crimes of which the police has no knowledge.

The selected offences are:

- common assault (as defined under Art. 123 SCC): any person who wilfully causes injury to the persons or the health of another in any other way;

- threatening behaviour (as defined under Art. 180 SCC): any person who places another in a state of fear and alarm by making a serious threat.

The victim rate represents the number of victims reported for each of the offences chosen during 5 years, calculated per 1,000 inhabitants in the average permanent resident population excluding persons in the asylum process who have been in Switzerland for at least one year (population's arithmetic mean over 5 years).

In contrast to the Population and Household Statistics (STATPOP), persons in the asylum process who have been in Switzerland for at least one year cannot be considered as part of the resident population in the police crime statistics (PCS) because the length of stay is unknown.

Victims

Police crime statistics

Population and Households Statistics