Statistics on crimes against individuals aged 65 and over, compiled by police authorities, reveal that offenses against the elderly increased from 33,469 in 2020 to 42,313 in 2024, marking a 26.4% rise.
The data released today highlight that the number of crimes was similar in 2020 and 2021, at 33,469, rose to 38,721 in 2022, further increasing to 43,640 in 2023, before dropping slightly to 42,313 last year.
The Directorate-General for Justice Policy (DGPJ) notes that while most crimes affect those under 65, the rise in crimes against the elderly over the past four years has been slightly higher.
The statistics also indicate that individuals aged 65 and over are primarily affected by property crimes, which account for 67.5% of incidents in this group, followed by crimes against people at 28.6%.
Among crimes against persons, the DGPJ highlights that last year 3,071 elderly individuals were victims of simple voluntary bodily harm, with domestic violence against a spouse or similar being the second most prevalent category, affecting 2,434 people aged 65 and over.
Other crimes against this demographic in 2024 include threats and coercion (951 cases), other types of domestic violence (812), serious voluntary bodily harm (80), and “though less frequent, but highly severe,” completed voluntary homicide (16 cases).
Regarding property crimes, justice statistics emphasize that last year 2,645 elderly individuals fell victim to residential theft involving breaking and entering, climbing, or use of false keys, followed by 2,409 incidents of computer or communications fraud.
Additional crimes affecting this population include theft from a motor vehicle (1,774 cases), residential theft without breaking (1,564), opportunistic theft of unsecured objects (1,495), pickpocketing (1,441), motor vehicle theft (1,247), and misuse of a credit card or payment device (1,104).
The DGPJ also reports the northern and central inland districts of the country register the highest proportions of crimes against the elderly, with Bragança showing the highest rate at 25.18%, followed by Vila Real (22.99%), Guarda (22.72%), Castelo Branco (21.83%), Viana do Castelo (20.57%), Santarém (19.98%), Portalegre (18.47%), Viseu (18.40%), and Coimbra (18.36%).
“This phenomenon contrasts with the values observed in major urban centers and coastal regions, where Lisbon has the lowest proportion (11.47%), followed by Porto (13.36%) and Setúbal (13.93%). Despite having more cases in absolute terms, districts like Lisbon (8,189 cases), Porto (5,911), Setúbal (3,916), and Faro (3,016) show lower proportional expression due to the higher total number of victims in these populous regions,” states the document.
The Autonomous Regions of the Azores (RAA) and Madeira (RAM) also display comparatively low values, with 11.70% and 13.47%, respectively.
