Crime in Latvia is relatively low, by global standards, especially compared to previous years, when it was named the "crime capital of Europe" by Forbes[1] in 2008. The homicide rate in Latvia was 4.9 per 100,000 people in 2020,[2]
a sharp drop from 10 cases per 100,000 people in 2000,[3] and has been steadily decreasing.[4] Although Latvia'a homicide rate is high by European Union standards,[5] it is below the world average of 6.2 per 100.000 (in 2019).[6] The United States Department of State has assessed Latvia's security rating as "medium",[7] with a moderate crime rate. In recent times, crime has been increasing, particularly due to many Latvians stranded because of the COVID-19 pandemic returning to Latvia and choosing to commit crime.[8] According to Interpol, Latvia is considered an attractive place for regional and organized criminals involved in drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking, or smuggling.[9] According to the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, a third of all women in Latvia have suffered some form of sexual violence or rape, while men are subjected to violence outside the family.[10]
Crime had seen massive increases in Latvia after the restoration of independence after end of the Soviet occupation.[11] The market transition from a planned economy to a free market-economy caused great social uncertainty in Latvia, and the crime rates rose.[12] The Latvian government defines crime as "an action endangering society and entailing criminal punishment whether committed intentionally or through negligence".[13] Crimes in Latvia have also been committed by other nations, like Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during their respective occupations of Latvia in 1940 and 1941.[14]