Reports of criminal law violations rise by 15 percent in Norway between 2019 and 2023

There has been a noticeable increase in reports of violations of criminal law, traffic regulations, and other specialized legislation in recent years. According to the latest statistics from the police, there was a 15 percent rise in reports from 2019 to 2023, even though the numbers were lower last year compared to the previous year.

Over these five years, arrests have increased by one-third.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected these trends. The lowest number of arrests observed was in 2020, likely due to the impact of the pandemic, particularly the shutdowns in nightlife, as well as restricted travel, which led to a decline in drug trafficking, the police stated in a press release.

Despite the increase in arrests, the number of custodial sentences has remained relatively stable.

Crimes against the law have also risen significantly; there has been a 28 percent increase in offenses reported over the past five years, primarily in cases involving property crimes and sexual offenses.

Statistics indicate that reported cases of rape rose from nine in 2019 to 24 last year. However, in 2022, there were a total of 29 reported incidents of rape.