Indicator 16.20 Population reporting crime, violence or vandalism in their are

The indicator shows the share of the population who reported facing a problem of crime, violence or vandalism in their local area. This describes the situation where the respondent feels crime, violence or vandalism in the area to be a problem for the household, although this perception is not necessarily based on personal experience.

Indicator is used to monitor progress towards SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions, which are embedded in the European Commission’s Priorities under ‘A new era for European Defence and Security’ and ‘Protecting our democracy, upholding our values’. The indicator can be considered as similar to global SDG indicator 16.1.4 “Proportion of population that feel safe walking alone around the area they live after dark”.”.

Safety is a crucial aspect in people’s lives. Insecurity of any kind is a source of fear and worry, which negatively affect quality of life. Physical insecurity includes all the external factors that could potentially put the individual’s physical integrity in danger. Criminal actions are one of the most obvious abuses of insecurity. Analyses of physical insecurity usually combine both subjective and objective aspects – the subjective perception of insecurity and the objective lack of safety as measured by crime statistics. This indicator therefore complements the indicator on homicide rates by focussing on the perception of insecurity. The European Commission’s ProtectEU Strategy aims to increase the capabilities of EU Member States to protect societies and democracies from online and offline threats from terrorists, criminals, and hostile foreign actors. Furthermore, it will guarantee that security implications are considered in all future EU policies.