Crime rates in the Valencian Community have risen by 4.7 per cent during the first quarter of the year, according to the latest figures from the Interior Ministry. The total number of criminal offences in the region increased from 66,607 to 69,753, driven by significant spikes in violent crime and sexual assaults.
Homicides and murders across the Valencian Community saw a particularly sharp increase, rising by 33.3 per cent from nine to 12 cases. Sexual assaults grew by 22.8 per cent, up from 101 to 124, while kidnappings surged by 66.7 per cent, moving from three to five incidents.
By province, crime rose by 4.5 per cent in Alicante, increasing from 24,631 to 25,735 offences. In Castellón, the increase was a slight 0.4 per cent, moving from 6,649 to 6,674, while a separate calculation within the data noted a 5.7 per cent rise from 35,327 to 37,344.
Within the province of Alicante specifically, murders and homicides doubled, rising by 100 per cent from two to four, and kidnappings jumped by 200 per cent, from one to three. Conversely, burglaries dropped by 20.6 per cent in the province, though sexual assaults involving penetration rose by 34 per cent.
Conventional crime across the Valencian Community grew by 5.8 per cent, from 53,786 to 56,886 offences, while cybercrime remained relatively flat, with a 0.4 per cent rise from 12,821 to 12,867. Within cyberspace offences, online fraud rose by 3.9 per cent from 11,157 to 11,588, while other cybercrimes decreased by 23.1 per cent from 1,664 to 1,279.
In terms of conventional offences, the most notable decreases were recorded in homicides and attempted murders, which fell by 25.6 per cent down to 29 cases. Thefts dropped by 8.6 per cent from 826 to 755, and robberies with force in homes fell by 4 per cent from 3,201 to 3,074, and by 1.1 per cent from 3,950 to 3,906.
National picture shows moderate rise
Across Spain, crime has risen by 1 per cent during this three-month period, with a total of 595,240 criminal offences recorded between January and March 2026. This includes 472,512 conventional crimes (up 1 per cent) and 122,728 cybercrimes (up 1.2 per cent).
The data, which aggregates statistics from the National Police, Guardia Civil, regional and local police forces, places Spain’s conventional crime rate at 40.5 offences per thousand inhabitants. The Interior Ministry highlighted this as the lowest level in recorded history, while the cybercrime rate sits at 10.0 offences per thousand inhabitants.
Nationally, completed homicides and murders rose by 10.6 per cent to 94 cases, and serious and less serious crimes of injury and affray increased by 11.1 per cent. Total property crimes—including robberies, thefts and vehicle thefts—decreased by 2.9 per cent overall. Intentional homicides and attempted murders also fell by 7.2 per cent. Kidnappings across the country rose by 16.7 per cent to 28 cases.
Sexual offences and drug trafficking
Crimes against sexual freedom rose by 1.1 per cent nationally compared to 2025, which represents a slower rate of growth than the 2.2 per cent increase seen in previous years. Rapes increased by 3.8 per cent with 1,290 reported cases, a trend the Ministry attributes to a reduction in underreporting as victims show greater confidence in police investigations.
Drug trafficking offences rose by 2.8 per cent across Spain, from 5,276 to 5,424 incidents. The Interior Ministry linked this rise to active enforcement by the Security Forces and Corps through targeted initiatives such as the Special Security Plan for the Campo de Gibraltar.
Among Spain’s most populated autonomous communities, Catalonia saw a 6 per cent reduction in crime, and Andalusia recorded a minor decrease of 0.5 per cent. In contrast, total offences increased in both the Valencian Community (+4.7 per cent) and the Community of Madrid (+2.3 per cent).
