Fifteen percent of Israelis were victims of crime in 2025, according to a Central Bureau of Statistics survey released Wednesday, which found widespread underreporting and growing fears about personal security.
The most common offenses were online crimes such as information theft and identity theft. In total, 16.6% of Jews and others were victims of crimes, compared to 7.8% of Arabs.
Vast majority of sexual harassment experienced by women unreported
Men were more likely to be victims of violence or threats, while women were much more likely to fall victim to sexual harassment, which went unreported 90% of the time.
Out of roughly 178,000 victims of physical violence, more than 88% reported psychological harm as a result.
At the household level, 4.5% of households experienced burglary or theft from their home, and a similar figure experienced vehicle-related crimes. Around 6% of households with children reported a crime against children, mostly violence, threats, or cyberbullying.
Despite 15% of Israelis being victims of crime in the past year, 81% of respondents felt safe in their area. Additionally, 74.8% felt safe walking alone at night, though only 65.8% of women did.
The public’s perception of crime control has worsened, the survey showed, with over 30% saying security had declined compared with previous years, and only roughly 10% believing it had improved.
Notably, 33.6% of Arabs surveyed feared crime or violence in their area, while the number for Jews and others stood at 17.4%.
Analysts suggest the gap may reflect higher levels of violent crime in Arab communities in recent years. In 2025, one Arab was murdered every 36 hours on average, usually with criminal motives. Suspects are rarely identified and charged, leading to an atmosphere of fear within Israeli Arab communities.
Activists say the government has not done enough to curb the cycle of violence within the community. In February, Arab MKs raised the issue with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who responded by asking whether the government was “to blame that you murder one another,” prompting accusations of racism from MKs.