Robberies with force in Barcelona rose by 14.1% during the first six months of 2026, driven by assaults on commercial premises and vehicles, according to crime data presented by the City Council and the Department of the Interior.
The increase matters particularly to shop owners and drivers, even as the city recorded an overall 11.2% fall in crime compared with the same period in 2025. The figures were presented on 20 July at the Barcelona Local Security Council.
Overall crime falls as some property offences increase
According to the Barcelona City Council’s first-half crime report, recorded offences were also 12% lower than a decade earlier.
The report attributes the wider reduction to reinforced police operations and neighbourhood policing. Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police, identified 2,190 people considered at high risk of repeat offending, while offences linked to repeat offending fell by 15.9%.
- Overall recorded crime fell by 11.2% year on year.
- Robberies with force rose by 14.1%.
- Knife-related incidents fell by 20.9%.
- Violent robberies associated with knife incidents fell by 29.1%.
Nine homicides recorded between January and June
The City Council said nine homicides were recorded in Barcelona in the first half of 2026. Three were linked to organised crime, and five investigations had resulted in the arrest of suspected perpetrators.
Reports of sexual assault fell by 9.4%, while reports in the category of gender-based violence fell by 13.8%, according to the municipal figures.
The Barcelona Urban Guard, the city’s municipal police force, handled more than 51,000 administrative incidents during the period and processed 72 cases through its office attached to the public prosecutor’s service.
Primary sources: Barcelona City Council, Ramon. Reported by Natàlia Vila, Guillem RS, Pere Roca Soler, catalannews.com, Alfonso L. Congostrina, CatalunyaPress.es, El Periódico Barcelona.
