Skip to the content


Data extracted: July 2024.

Planned article update: September 2026.

Highlights

While some cities thrive, others decline: this may be explained, at least in part, by their attractiveness as places to live, work or study. The fortunes of a city are also impacted by key investment decisions from national, regional and local governments.

The quality of life can be defined as the general well-being of people living in society. It is a broad concept that encompasses a number of dimensions, both objective factors (material resources, health, working status, living conditions and so on) and the population’s subjective perceptions – in other words, how they feel and how they view their own lives.

Cities may be simultaneously the source of and solution to many of today’s economic, social and environmental challenges. On one hand, they are motors of the European Union (EU) economy, providing hubs for wealth creation and attracting large numbers of people due to the wide range of opportunities they offer in economic, educational and/or social spheres. On the other, they face a range of social and environmental challenges, for example, affordable housing, poverty, crime, congestion and pollution.

The EU is founded on respect for equality and human rights, permitting the basic principles of pluralism, tolerance and solidarity to prevail, while eliminating discrimination on the basis of gender, sexuality, age, race, nationality, disability, age, religion and so on. There is a growing appreciation of the need to prioritise inclusive urban planning, as it shapes the environment around us; that environment, in turn, shapes how we all live, work, play and rest.

This article forms part of Eurostat’s online publication Urban Europe. It seeks to offer a portrait of the quality of life in urban areas of the EU, identifying the benefits and challenges that people living in urban areas face.

An infographic in the form of a barplot or lollipop chart showing those cities in the EU with the highest shares of people that felt safe walking at night in their neighbourhood. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the city with the highest share in each EU country. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Which city had the highest share of people who agreed they felt safe walking at night in their neighbourhood?
(%, 2023)
Source: Eurostat (urb_percep)


Perception survey indicators

Cities face a range of challenges that impact on the quality of life, including transport, health, education, cultural and sports facilities, safety and environmental concerns. The information presented in this section comes from a Report on the quality of life in European cities, 2023, which details the results of a perception survey for 70 cities in the EU and EFTA countries. Data from the survey can help to identify cities that are managing particular challenges well, which, in turn, can help formulate priorities for Cohesion Policy investments and help support policy exchanges as part of the Urban Agenda for the EU.

Public transport services

Figure 1 presents information on the share of the population in 2023 that was rather satisfied or very satisfied with a range of services in their city. Across the EU cities that were surveyed, the highest levels of satisfaction in relation to public transport services were observed in several cities with more than a million inhabitants

  • the Austrian, Czech and Finnish capitals of Wien (89.7%), Praha (87.2%) and Helsinki (also 87.2%)
  • the second-largest city in the Netherlands, Rotterdam (86.9%)
  • the northern German city of Hamburg (85.1%).

At the other end of the spectrum, there were 7 cities in the EU where less than half of the population in 2023 was rather satisfied or very satisfied with public transport services in their city, including

  • 3 located in Italy – Palermo (20.2%), Roma (28.1%) and Napoli (29.7%)
  • 2 capitals of islands – Lefkosia in Cyprus (38.9%) and Greater Valetta in Malta (43.8%)
  • the north-eastern Hungarian city of Miskolc (47.3%)
  • the Romanian capital of Bucureşti (49.5%).

Health care services, doctors and hospitals

In 2023, the share of the population that was rather satisfied or very satisfied with health care services, doctors and hospitals in their city peaked, among the cities surveyed across the EU, at 91.2% in Antwerpen (Belgium). This was in keeping with a pattern of relatively high shares being observed across several cities in the Benelux countries, as the next highest shares were recorded in

  • the Dutch cities of Groningen (90.9%) and Amsterdam (87.3%)
  • the Belgian city of Liège (88.5%)
  • Luxembourg (87.4%).

There were 14 cities in the EU where less than half of the population in 2023 was rather satisfied or very satisfied with health care services, doctors and hospitals in their city; they were principally located in eastern and southern EU countries. The lowest shares were recorded in

  • the Hungarian cities of Miskolc (34.7%) and Budapest (37.0%)
  • the Italian cities of Palermo (35.9%) and Napoli (38.5%)
  • the Greek capital of Athina (38.6%).

Public spaces

Within the EU, the highest share of the population that was rather satisfied or very satisfied with the public spaces in their city was recorded in Luxembourg (90.6% in 2023). The next highest shares were also registered in cities with fewer than a million inhabitants

  • Groningen in the north of the Netherlands (88.6%)
  • Strasbourg in eastern France (88.4%)
  • Oviedo in north-west Spain (88.2%).

There were 5 cities in the EU where less than half of the population in 2023 was rather satisfied or very satisfied with the public spaces in their city, they were all located in southern EU countries

  • the Greek cities of Athina (38.6%) and Irakleio (48.1%)
  • the Maltese capital of Greater Valletta (44.2%)
  • the Italian cities of Napoli (44.4%) and Palermo (45.8%).
Three beeswarm plots showing the share of the population rather satisfied or very satisfied with a range of facilities in their city. Separate charts are shown for public transport; health care services, doctors and hospitals; public spaces. Data are shown for 70 selected cities in the EU and EFTA countries. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 1: Population satisfied with facilities in their city, 2023
(% share rather satisfied or very satisfied)
Source: Eurostat (urb_percep)

Green spaces

Green spaces have environmental benefits, providing a habitat for flora and fauna, facilitating climate change adaptation/mitigation, supporting the conservation of biodiversity, providing a range of ecosystem services (such as lowering urban temperatures, reducing the risk of floods or providing cleaner air), and supporting recreational services that may improve physical and mental health.

In the Swedish city of Malmö, 91.7% of the population was rather satisfied or very satisfied with the green spaces in their city; this was the highest share recorded among the EU cities surveyed in the latest perception survey. High shares were also recorded in

  • München (90.8%) and Hamburg (88.8%) in Germany
  • Helsinki (89.4%) in Finland
  • Groningen (89.3%) in the Netherlands.

Noise level

Noise is an issue in many cities: it is often linked to transport, construction, recreational activities or the close proximity of other residents. In 2023, 85.9% of the population in the Finnish city of Oulu was rather satisfied or very satisfied with the noise level in their city; this was the highest share recorded in the EU among the cities surveyed in the latest perception survey. At the other end of the range, it was a notable issue in the Romanian capital of Bucureşti, where 3 in 10 (30.2%) people were rather satisfied or very satisfied with the noise level in their city. Leaving aside Palermo (30.8%), the next lowest shares of satisfaction were recorded in cities with more than a million inhabitants

  • Athina (35.5%) in Greece
  • the Bulgarian capital of Sofia (37.1%)
  • Napoli (38.0%) in Italy.

Local neighbourhood

Compared with the other indicators from the latest perception survey, the share of people in EU cities who were rather satisfied or very satisfied with their local neighbourhood displayed a narrower range. In 2023, the highest share was observed in the Swedish capital of Stockholm (93.3%), while the lowest share was recorded in Napoli (64.6%). There were 18 cities distributed across 12 different EU countries where more than 9 in 10 people were rather satisfied or very satisfied with their local neighbourhood.

Three beeswarm plots showing the share of the population rather satisfied or very satisfied with a range of environmental aspects in their city. Separate charts are shown for green spaces; noise levels; the local neighbourhood. Data are shown for 70 selected cities in the EU and EFTA countries. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 2: Population satisfied with environmental aspects in their city, 2023
(% share rather satisfied or very satisfied)
Source: Eurostat (urb_percep)

Tourism

In keeping with many aspects of urban development, tourism is a paradox, insofar as an increasing number of tourists in some cities can result in congestion/saturation which may damage the atmosphere and local culture that originally made them attractive; Venezia (Italy) and Barcelona (Spain) are 2 leading examples. While tourism has the potential to generate income which may be used to redevelop/regenerate urban areas, an influx of tourists can potentially lower the quality of life for local inhabitants, for example, through higher levels of pollution and congestion, new retail formats replacing traditional commerce, increased prices, increased noise, or difficulties in finding affordable residential property.

The COVID-19 crisis and its associated measures led to a considerable downturn in tourism activity in 2020 and 2021. There was a partial recovery in 2022, while the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments across the EU reached 2.94 billion in 2023; this was 2.3% higher than in 2019.

Figure 3 shows the 20 cities in the EU with the highest number of nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments in 2023.

  • The French capital of Paris was, by far, the most popular city destination with 75.5 million nights spent; the next highest count was recorded in the Italian capital of Roma (37.3 million nights spent).
  • Berlin (Germany), Barcelona, Madrid (both Spain) and Amsterdam (the Netherlands) were the only other cities in the EU to register over 20.0 million nights spent.
  • In total, there were 12 capital cities that featured among the 20 EU cities with the highest numbers of nights spent.
  • The list included 4 popular coastal destinations, Barcelona, Benidorm, Palma de Mallorca (Spain) and Venezia (Italy).
  • The list was completed by 4 large cities, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, München (Germany) and Milano (Italy).
A bar chart showing the number of nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments. Data are shown for the 20 cities in the EU with the highest number of nights spent. Information is presented in millions. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 3: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments in selected cities, 2023
(million)
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninc)

A more detailed analysis of the nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments is presented in Figure 4, which includes an analysis by country of residence.

  • Paris was the most popular city destination in the EU for both domestic (34.3 million nights spent) and international/foreign tourists (41.2 million nights spent).
  • Unsurprisingly, the most popular city destinations for domestic tourists were concentrated in some of the largest EU countries, with 6 cities from Germany and 3 each from France, Italy and Spain within the list of the 20 most popular destinations for domestic tourists.
  • Cities in the southern EU countries featured more prominently near the top of the ranking among the leading city destinations for foreign tourists.
Two barplots of lollipop charts showing the number of nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments. The first chart shows data for domestic tourists. The second chart shows data for foreign tourists. Data are shown for the 20 cities in the EU with the highest number of nights spent. Information is presented in millions. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 4: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments in selected cities, by country of residence, 2023
(million)
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninc)

The rapid expansion in short-term tourist rentals via online platforms is of particular relevance for some city destinations. Official statistics generally under-report this growing market, as small establishments (for example, those with fewer than 10 bed places) offering holiday and other short-stay accommodation may be excluded from business or tourism registers. For this reason, Eurostat embarked on an experimental data collection exercise aimed at better measuring this recent segment of the accommodation market and at improving the overall completeness of tourism statistics. It is based on listings/bookings obtained directly from 4 major online platforms (Airbnb, Booking.com, Tripadvisor and Expedia Group) and is restricted to the collection of information on holiday and short-stay accommodation (NACE Group 55.2), reflecting the principal type of accommodation for service providers within the collaborative economy.

In 2023, the French capital of Paris recorded the highest overall number of guest nights spent at short-stay accommodation offered via selected online booking platforms; 14.5 million nights spent by foreign tourists and 4.8 million by domestic tourists. The total number of guest nights spent in Paris was considerably higher than in any other EU city, as the French capital was followed by

  • the Italian capital of Roma (a total of 12.5 million guest nights)
  • Barcelona in Spain (10.9 million guest nights)
  • the Portuguese capital of Lisboa (10.5 million guest nights).

Foreign guests accounted for a majority of the total number of guest nights spent at short-stay accommodation offered via selected online booking platforms. This pattern was observed in all of the 20 most frequented cities in the EU. In Lisboa, foreign tourists accounted for 95.6% of all guests nights spent, with the share of foreign tourists also higher than 90.0% in Budapest (Hungary), Praha (Czechia), Porto (Portugal), Venezia (Italy), Wien (Austria) and Barcelona (Spain).

A stacked bar chart showing the number of guest nights spent at short-stay accommodation offered via selected online booking platforms. Data are shown for the 20 cities in the EU with the highest overall number of guest nights spent. Each bar is divided to show the number of nights spent by domestic guests and foreign guests. Information is presented in millions. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 5: Guest nights spent at short-stay accommodation offered via selected online booking platforms in selected cities, 2023
(million)
Source: Eurostat (tour_ce_oarc)

Health and safety

There is growing recognition that the urban fabric of cities plays an important role in determining health outcomes. An urban health advantage may be linked to a range of issues: better access to health infrastructure and social services; higher levels of educational attainment; higher incomes; better working conditions. On the other hand, an urban health penalty may exist, for example, within inner cities or deprived neighbourhoods that are characterised by poverty or social exclusion. Lesser health outcomes may result from, among other determinants, overcrowding, poor quality housing, homelessness, air or noise pollution. Adverse social and environmental factors in cities may also impact an individual’s mental health.

In 2023, 78.2% of working-age people (16–64 years) living in cities across the EU reported that they had good or very good health status (see Figure 6); this share was 0.7 percentage points higher than the overall share for all working-age people (77.5%).

  • The highest proportions of working-age people living in cities reporting good or very good health status were observed in Greece (90.0%), Malta and Romania (both 89.1%).
  • Latvia (57.9%) was the only EU country where fewer than 2 out of 3 working-age people living in a city reported good or very good health status.
  • In Latvia, Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium and Greece, a lower share of working-age people living in cities (compared with the national average for all working-age people) reported good or very good health status.

Figure 6 also shows information for older people (aged 65 years or over): as may be expected, a smaller share of this cohort reported good or very good health status. In 2023, 41.0% of older people living in cities across the EU reported that they had good or very good health status; this was 1.2 percentage points higher than the share for all older people (39.8%).

There were 6 EU countries where more than half of all older people living in cities reported good or very good health status; all of these were western or Nordic EU countries, with the highest shares recorded in Luxembourg (57.3%), Sweden (59.3%) and Ireland (59.4%).

A pyramid distribution plot showing the share of people declaring they had good or very good health status. Data are shown by age, for working-age people (16 to 64 years) and for older people (65 years or over); the left-hand side of the chart shows data for cities and the right-hand side shows data for the national average. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the EU, EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 6: People with good or very good health status, by age and degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (hlth_silc_18)

In 2023, 2.0% of the EU’s working-age population (16–64 years) living in cities reported that they had unmet needs for medical examination (as a result of it being too expensive, too far to travel or because of a waiting list); a higher share (3.6%) was recorded among older generations (aged 65 years or over). Looking in more detail, the share of older people living in cities with unmet needs for medical examination ranged from 0.0% in Luxembourg to 15.2% in Latvia, 15.9% in Estonia and 30.1% in Greece.

Older people were generally more likely (than the working-age population) to report unmet needs for medical examination. In 2023, this was particularly the case in Greece, where the difference between the shares for these 2 cohorts was 25.8 percentage points. By contrast, older people living in cities were less likely (than working-age people) to report unmet needs for medical examination in the Benelux countries as well as in Czechia, Denmark, France, Austria and Sweden.

A pyramid distribution plot showing the share of people declaring they had unmet needs for medical examination. Data are shown by age, for working-age people (16 to 64 years) and for older people (65 years or over); the left-hand side of the chart shows data for cities and the right-hand side shows data for the national average. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the EU, EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 7: People with self-reported unmet needs for medical examination, by age and degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (hlth_silc_21)

The main sources of air pollution in cities include road vehicles as well as industrial, public, commercial and residential combustion of solid fuels. Fine particulate matter is very small pieces – defined here as less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) – of solid or liquid matter in the atmosphere. Fine particulate matter can be carried deep into the lungs where it may cause inflammation or worsen the condition of those suffering with heart and lung diseases.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates that around 253 000 premature deaths in the EU could be attributed to the impact of fine particulate matter in 2021; this equates to an average of 57.2 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants. Unsurprisingly, the highest absolute numbers of premature deaths associated with exposure to fine particulate matter were observed in some of the most populous cities / predominantly urban regions of the EU.

  • In 2021, the number of premature deaths due to exposure to fine particulate matter peaked at 203 per 100 000 inhabitants in the southern Polish region of Miasto Kraków.
  • For 33 of the 237 predominantly urban regions for which data are available, there were more than 100.0 premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants in 2021, 13 were in Poland, 7 in each of Greece and Italy, 2 in Romania, and 1 in each of Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia and Hungary.
  • By contrast, there were 4 predominantly urban regions in northern EU countries where there were fewer than 10.0 premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants due to exposure to fine particulate matter; they included the capital city regions of Estonia, Finland and Sweden as well as one other region in Estonia.
A hi-lo plot showing the ratio of premature deaths due to exposure to fine particulate matter. Plots are shown for each country for the region with the highest ratio and the region with the lowest ratio. Information is presented as the ratio of premature deaths per hundred thousand inhabitants. Data are shown for the EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2021. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 8: Premature deaths due to exposure to PM2.5, selected predominantly urban regions, 2021
(premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants)
Source: European Commission, European Environment Agency (EEA)

Policymakers increasingly recognise the need to address the issues of poverty, exclusion and deprivation if they are to lower crime rates and improve the equality of opportunity. People living in neighbourhoods characterised by high levels of socioeconomic inequality tend to be exposed to higher than average levels of crime.

In 2023, 1 in 10 of the EU’s population said that crime, violence or vandalism in their local area posed a problem for their household. The share recorded among people living exclusively in cities was 5.4 percentage points higher than the average, at 15.4%.

More than 1 in 5 people living in the cities of the Netherlands (21.4%), Bulgaria (22.4%), France (23.0%) and Belgium (23.2%) reported that crime, violence or vandalism in their local area was a problem for their household in 2023, with this share rising to more than 1 in 4 for people living in the cities of Greece (26.9%). By contrast, a considerably lower share of city dwellers in several Baltic and eastern EU countries reported that crime, violence or vandalism in their local area was a problem for their household; the lowest shares were recorded in Lithuania (4.2%) and Croatia (2.6%).

People living in cities were generally more likely (than the national average) to report that crime, violence or vandalism in their local awas area was a problem for their household. This pattern was observed in 2023 for all but 1 of the EU countries, the exception being Hungary. In Luxembourg and Belgium, the share of city dwellers reporting that crime, violence or vandalism in their local area was a problem for their household was considerably higher than the national average, by 12.1 and 10.7 percentage points, respectively.

A bullet chart showing the share of people who reported that crime, violence or vandalism in their local area was a problem for their household. Plots are shown for each country for people living in cities and for the national average. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 9: People who reported that crime, violence or vandalism in their local area was a problem for their household, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_mddw06) and (ilc_mddw03)

In 2022, there were 3 862 intentional homicides in the EU, which is relatively low compared with many other parts of the world. Expressed as a ratio per 100 000 inhabitants, intentional homicides peaked in the Baltic countries of Latvia (4.0) and Lithuania (2.2), while the lowest incidences were recorded in Italy and Slovenia (both 0.6).

Figure 10 shows that in 2022 the highest incidence rates for intentional homicides (relative to national averages) were recorded in

  • Fort-de-France in Martinique and Les Abymes in Guadeloupe, where people were 5.9 and 5.7 times as likely to have been intentionally killed by another person than the national average for the whole of France (the highest rate across mainland metropolitan regions of France was recorded in Marseille, where people were 2.3 times as likely as the national average to have been intentionally killed by another person)
  • Wetzlar in Germany, where people were 2.8 times as likely (than the national average) to have been intentionally killed by another person (2019 data).
A hi-lo chart showing the incidence of intentional homicide offences relative to the national average. The chart shows, for each country, the metropolitan region with the highest/lowest incidence of homicide per 100 000 inhabitants. Plots are shown for each country for the regions with the highest/lowest incidence. Information is presented as an index, with the national average set equal to 100. Data are shown for the EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2022. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 10: Intentional homicide offences in selected metropolitan regions, 2022
(national average = 100)
Source: Eurostat (met_crim_gen) and (met_pjangrp3)

In 2022, there were 253 247 robberies in the EU. Expressed as a ratio per 100 000 inhabitants, the incidence of robberies was highest in Spain (131.8), followed by Belgium (103.3), France (99.8) and Luxembourg (98.7). By contrast, there were relatively few robberies – less than 10.0 per 100 000 inhabitants – in Estonia (7.2), Slovakia (5.8) and Hungary (5.5).

Figure 11 shows that in 2022 the highest incidence rates for robberies (relative to national averages) were recorded in

  • Bucureşti, where people were 3.0 times as likely to have been a victim of a robbery than the national average for the whole of Romania
  • Barcelona in Spain, where people were 2.9 times as likely (as the national average) to have been a victim of a robbery
  • Napoli in Italy, where people were 2.7 times as likely (as the national average) to have been a victim of a robbery
  • Paris in France, where people were 2.3 times as likely (as the national average) to have been a victim of a robbery.
A hi-lo chart showing the incidence of robbery offences relative to the national average. The chart shows, for each country, the metropolitan region with the highest/lowest incidence of robbery offences per 100 000 inhabitants. Plots are shown for each country for the regions with the highest/lowest incidence. Information is presented as an index, with the national average set equal to 100. Data are shown for the EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2022. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 11: Robbery offences in selected metropolitan regions, 2022
(national average = 100)
Source: Eurostat (met_crim_gen) and (met_pjangrp3)

In 2022, there were more than 679 000 burglaries of private residences in the EU; note this aggregate figure includes 2021 data for Luxembourg and Poland, while no data are available for Ireland, Cyprus and Hungary. Expressed as a ratio per 100 000 inhabitants, the highest incidence of burglaries of private residential premises was recorded in Denmark (386.5 per 100 000 inhabitants), while relatively high rates were also recorded in Belgium (333.2 per 100 000 inhabitants) and Sweden (326.6 per 100 000 inhabitants).

Figure 12 shows in 2022 the highest incidence rates for burglaries of private residential premises (relative to national averages) were recorded in

  • Thessaloniki, where people were 2.3 times as likely to have been a victim of a burglary than the national average for the whole of Greece
  • Constanța in Romania, where people were 2.2 times as likely (as the national average) to have been a victim of a burglary
  • Wroclaw in Poland, where people were 2.2 times as likely (as the national average) to have been a victim of a burglary
  • Bremen in Germany, where people were 2.0 times as likely (as the national average) to have been a victim of a burglary (2019 data).
A hi-lo chart showing the incidence of burglary of private residential premises relative to the national average. The chart shows, for each country, the metropolitan region with the highest/lowest incidence of burglary of private residential premises per 100 000 inhabitants. Plots are shown for each country for the regions with the highest/lowest incidence. Information is presented as an index, with the national average set equal to 100. Data are shown for the EU countries and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2022. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 12: Burglary of private residential premises in selected metropolitan regions, 2022
(national average = 100)
Source: Eurostat (met_crim_gen) and (met_pjangrp3)

This article concludes with additional data from the perception survey on the quality of life in European cities, providing some information about the perceptions that city dwellers have in relation to a number of issues linked to safety.

In the first part of Figure 13, data are presented for the share of people living in cities who agreed or strongly agreed that most people in their neighbourhood could be trusted. In 2023, this share ranged from 54.0% in the Latvian capital of Rīga up to a peak of 90.0% in the Danish city of Aalborg.

The share of people reporting that they or another household member had money or property stolen in their city in the last 12 months was relatively high in several cities with more than a million inhabitants, while lower shares were often recorded for cities with fewer inhabitants. In 2022, almost half (49.0%) of people living in the Greek capital of Athina reported that they or another household member had money or property stolen in their city in the last 12 months. The next highest shares were recorded in several capital cities

  • Sofia (39.9%) in Bulgaria
  • Amsterdam (35.0%) in the Netherlands
  • Berlin (34.8%) in Germany
  • Dublin (34.0%) in Ireland.

The Maltese capital of Greater Valletta was the only city, among those surveyed, where fewer than 1 in 10 people reported that they or another household member had money or property stolen in their city in the last 12 months; it had a share of 8.5% in 2023.

As was the case for people reporting that they or another household member had money or property stolen, the highest shares of people reporting that they had been assaulted or mugged were recorded in the Greek and Bulgarian capitals. In 2022, 18.2% of the people living in Athina reported that they had been assaulted or mugged in their city in the previous 12 months, while the corresponding share for Sofia was 15.8%. Relatively high shares were also recorded in the north-eastern Czech city of Ostrava (13.7%), as well as the Latvian and Belgian capitals of Rīga (13.5%) and Bruxelles/Brussel (12.6%).

Several cities with fewer than a million inhabitants recorded relatively low shares of people reporting that they had been assaulted or mugged in their city in the previous 12 months. In 2022, this was the case for less than 4.0% of the population living in

  • Kraków in Poland (3.9%)
  • the Croatian capital of Zagreb and Cluj-Napoca in Romania (both 3.4%)
  • Leipzig in Germany and Palermo in Italy (both 3.2%)
  • Greater Valletta in Malta (with, by far, the lowest share at 1.3%).
Three beeswarm plots showing the perceptions of people about safety in their city or neighbourhood. Separate charts are shown for people who agreed or strongly agreed that most people in their neighbourhood could be trusted; reported that they or another household member had money or property stolen in their city in the last 12 months; reported that they had been assaulted or mugged in their city in the last 12 months. Data are shown for 70 selected cities in the EU and EFTA countries. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 13: Perceptions about safety among people living in cities, 2023
(% share)
Source: Eurostat (urb_percep)

Source data for tables and graphs

Context

The Urban Agenda was launched in May 2016 with the Pact of Amsterdam. It promotes cooperation between EU countries, the European Commission, cities and other stakeholders to stimulate growth, while identifying and tackling a range of socioeconomic challenges.

The Urban Agenda has defined 14 partnerships, covering areas as diverse as

  • air quality
  • the circular economy
  • climate adaptation
  • culture and cultural heritage
  • the digital transition
  • the energy transition
  • housing
  • the inclusion of migrants and refugees
  • innovative and responsible public procurement
  • jobs and skills in the local economy
  • sustainable use of land and nature-based solutions
  • urban mobility
  • urban poverty
  • security in public spaces.

Each partnership brings together a range of stakeholders to work on developing and implementing concrete actions to successfully tackle the challenges faced by cities and to contribute to green and digital transitions among other EU objectives.

In November 2020, the New Leipzig Charter on the transformative power of cities for the common good was adopted, it provides a framework for integrated urban development following

On 26 November 2021, EU Ministers responsible for Urban Matters adopted the Ljubljana agreement that laid the groundwork for a new phase of the Urban Agenda. During the period 2021–27 support to the Urban Agenda for the EU is provided through the European Urban Initiative.

Explore further

Other articles


Online publications

Methodological publications

Background articles

Database


Cities and greater cities (urb_cgc)
Functional urban areas (urb_luz)
Perception survey results (urb_percep)

Thematic section


Publications


Statistical publications

Methodological publications

Methodology


External links


European Commission – Directorate-General Agriculture and rural development

European Commission – Directorate-General Regional and Urban Policy

European Committee of the Regions

European networks

United Nations


Legislation


Statistical legislation

Policy legislation

  • Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 522/2014 of 11 March 2014 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the detailed rules concerning the principles for the selection and management of innovative actions in the area of sustainable urban development to be supported by the European Regional Development Fund
  • Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
  • Regulation (EU) No 1310/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down certain transitional provisions on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)

Visualisation
Retrieved from "https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Urban-rural_Europe_-_quality_of_life_in_cities&oldid=664124"