Human Rights Official: Iraq’s crime rate drops 15% in 2024, violent crimes down 20%

Shafaq News/ Iraq recorded a 15% decline in overall crime rates in 2024 compared to the previous year, with significant drops in violent crimes, theft, and drug-related offenses, according to the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq.

“The latest crime indicators from the Interior Ministry show a 20% decrease in violent crimes, including murder and serious assaults,” said Fadel Al-Gharawi, head of the center, in a report on Wednesday.

The data showed a 22% drop in homicides, with 1,200 cases recorded in 2024 compared to 1,540 in 2023. Serious assaults also fell 18%, with 3,500 reported cases versus 4,270 the previous year.

Theft-related crimes also saw a decline. Home burglaries dropped 10%, with 8,000 cases recorded, down from 8,900 in 2023. Car thefts decreased by 14%, with 5,500 reported cases compared to 6,400 last year.

Drug-related offenses also declined, with trafficking cases falling 18% to 2,500 in 2024 from 3,050 a year earlier. Drug use cases dropped 15%, with 4,000 cases recorded compared to 4,700 in 2023.

Financial crimes followed the downward trend, with fraud cases dropping 20%, from 1,125 cases in 2023 to 900 this year. Corruption-related crimes, including bribery and embezzlement, fell 25%, with 1,200 cases recorded, down from 1,600 last year.

Al-Gharawi urged the Interior Ministry to launch a national crime-fighting strategy, dismantle criminal networks, and focus on combating serious crimes, particularly drug trafficking and human trafficking.

He also called for the introduction of "Kafeh" (Combat), an interactive initiative allowing citizens to collaborate with security forces in crime reporting. Additionally, he proposed a "Crime Database Program," an official statistical system to track and analyze crime trends over time.