In the first nine months of the year, the state recorded a notable rise in overall crime, with a 12.2% increase from January through September according to the latest balance released yesterday. The most pronounced jumps were seen in computer fraud, which surged by 44.7% to reach 11,539 incidents, and in murder and attempted murder, climbing 44.4% with 52 cases. The Interior Ministry notes that there were 79,760 crimes documented in the state up to last September, averaging close to 300 offenses per day. This trajectory outpaced the national average by a little more than seven points, signaling a meaningful deviation in local safety dynamics compared with the wider country.
During the first nine months of 2023, ten offenses reached completion, mirroring the pattern seen in the same period of 2022. The number of cases involving murder or attempted murder rose from 36 to 52. Similarly, injuries and assaults increased by 5.9 percent, with 948 incidents recorded in this category alone, underscoring ongoing concerns in personal safety and violence-related offenses.
Sexual offenses showed a modest rise of 2.6 percent overall; however, sexual assaults with penetration fell by 16.5 percent, from 200 in 2022 to 167 in the current year. Despite this decline, other sexual crimes grew by 10 percent, totaling 573 cases, indicating shifts in the composition of sexual crime categories rather than a uniform trend across all offenses.
Robbery under threat and intimidation emerged as another rapidly expanding crime type, increasing by 28.1 percent to 1,530 cases. Vehicle theft also rose, by 27 percent, reaching 1,045 reports. Meanwhile, robberies at homes, workplaces, and other facilities increased by 5.4 percent, moving from 5,244 to 5,528 occurrences. Theft, broadly defined, expanded by 12.6 percent, rising from 18,498 to 20,833 cases, reflecting a broadening pattern of acquisitive crime across multiple settings.
conventional crime
The Interior Ministry’s balance covers both conventional crime and cybercrime. In the Alicante province, conventional crimes grew by 7.9 percent, totaling 66,624 incidents. Cybercrime, by contrast, rose sharply by 41.2 percent, climbing from 9,305 to 13,136 violations, with computer fraud accounting for much of this surge at 44.7 percent growth. These dynamics illustrate a shifting threat landscape where digital offenses increasingly complement traditional street crime.
Across the Valencian Community, along with Andalusia, Spain remains at the forefront of cybercrime expansion, with growth reaching 38.1 percent. Murcia and the Basque Country follow closely, each posting a 33.4 percent increase in cyber offenses. These regional patterns underscore the uneven distribution of digital crime across autonomous communities and highlight the importance of targeted enforcement and public awareness campaigns to counter these evolving threats.
Drug trafficking offenses rose by 12.6 percent, increasing from 748 to 842 cases. This uptick is interpreted as a reflection of intensified police activity against narcotics networks rather than a sudden escalation in supply alone. The balance sheet from Internal Affairs also offers a municipality-by-municipality breakdown for cities with populations above 20,000, illustrating localized trends and identifying areas where crime rose or fell in the first nine months. Examples include Alcoy at 2.9 percent, l Alfàs del Pi at 19.5 percent, and Alicante at 19.3 percent. Other municipalities such as Almoradí, Altea, Aspe, Benidorm, Calp, El Campello, Elche, Elda, Ibi, Novelda, Orihuela, Petrer, Pilar de la Horadada, San Vicente del Raspeig, Santa Pola, Torrevieja, and La Vila Joiosa also show varying degrees of change, reflecting diverse local dynamics and enforcement responses.
On the flip side, several municipalities recorded decreases in crime during the same period. Crevillent saw a slight drop of 1 percent, followed by Dénia at minus 4.9 percent, Xàbia at minus 2.1 percent, Mutxamel at minus 1.8 percent, Sant Joan d Alacant at minus 3.7 percent, and Villena with a 9.6 percent decline. These declines indicate that preventive measures and community interventions in these areas may be contributing to safer neighborhoods, even as other parts of the province experience rising crime.