Barcelona Robbery Rate Nearly Three Times Spain’s National Average

THE LATEST information published connected Monday, November 3, by Eurostat, nan statistical agency of nan European Union, has revealed that nan probability of being robbed successful Barcelona is astir 3 times higher than nan nationalist average. In fact, nan statistic revealed that you are much apt to beryllium robbed successful Barcelona than successful immoderate different Spanish city.

Barcelona outpaces European peers successful thefts

According to nan data, nan probability of suffering a robbery is 2.9 times higher than Spain’s average, and this ratio is higher than astir places successful nan European Union, bested only by Bucharest, wherever nan probability of being robbed is precisely 3 times higher than nan Romanian average.

In nan twelvemonth 2022, Spain had nan highest complaint of robbery incidents successful nan full of nan European Union, pinch 131.8 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. It acold outpaced Belgium, pinch 103.3 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants, and France, pinch 99.8 thefts.

Despite these perturbing figures, Barcelona was – and is – a prima of tourism and overnight stays successful Spain, ranking arsenic nan 4th metropolis successful Europe wherever visitors spent nan astir nights successful 2023: much than 27 cardinal overnight stays were recorded that year. 

Robberies successful Barcelona: an unfortunate portion of mundane life successful Catalonia

Crime, and specifically theft, has go a portion of mundane life successful nan Catalan capital. Many locals joke that you person not lived successful Barcelona until you person been robbed. 

Indeed, for anyone who has spent clip successful Barcelona, nan statistic are hardly astonishing (and surely not news-worthy). It is not uncommon to person your mobile telephone plucked from your manus by an anonymous crook connected a scooter, aliases uncovering your backpack missing aft having it retired of your show for just a moment. Many Barcelona residents moreover study a disturbing caller method of robbery, wherein pickpockets usage crisp knives, typically X-Acto knives, to trim unfastened bags and backpacks successful bid to bargain their contents without nan unfortunate noticing.

How to debar being robbed successful Barcelona

While those who unrecorded successful nan Catalan superior whitethorn beryllium well-adjusted and vigilant erstwhile it comes to pickpockets, those who wish to sojourn whitethorn want to support these things successful mind:

• Never time off individual items unattended, moreover for a second.
• When leaving thing successful a car, hide it underneath a seat, coat, blanket, aliases different hide it from sight.
• When eating astatine a restaurant, spot your bag, purse, aliases backpack adjacent your feet, looped astir a chair leg, aliases wrong arm’s scope connected a chair. Preferably, do not time off it hanging from nan backmost of your ain chair.
• Keep a individual fastener successful your container successful lawsuit location mightiness beryllium a locker disposable for your individual items.
• When connected nan metro aliases bus, effort to support your backmost against a wall, specified that thieves cannot sneak up down you.
• If possible, locomotion pinch your bag, purse, aliases backpack successful beforehand of you.
• If possible, time off delicate documents aliases costly items successful your edifice aliases accommodation.
• If utilizing your phone, grip it tightly and pinch some hands if possible. Put it distant if a alien approaches.
• Be alert of caller tricks and methods of stealing (thieves tin get rather imaginative pinch their techniques). The Guardia Civil will often alert to caller methods and important information.

Barcelona neighbourhoods to debar astatine night

It whitethorn besides beryllium a smart thought to debar definite areas and neighbourhoods of Barcelona, peculiarly astatine night. These are nan areas wherever much thefts are apt to hap successful nan metropolis and are champion avoided:

• El Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter): While beautiful and iconic to nan city, its constrictive streets could make it consciousness mazelike astatine night, and its ample crowds could put you astatine consequence for theft.
• El Raval: Known arsenic Barcelona’s ‘most dangerous’ neighbourhood, it is champion avoided astatine night.
• El Born and Passeig del Born: With a lively nightlife segment and characteristic bars, it’s tempting to caput to nan Born neighbourhood astatine night. However, 1 should stay vigilant successful this neighbourhood, arsenic location are galore group hanging astir looking for opportunities to rob tourists.
• La Rambla and Plaça de Catalunya: Tightly packed, particularly successful highest season, it’s important to support your wits astir you erstwhile stepping astir these tourism hotspots.

In general, it’s champion to enactment successful brightly lit areas, pinch wide streets that are busy, but not packed pinch people. When stepping astatine night, debar places pinch fewer group aliases suspicious-looking activity.

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