Finland assault reports increased by more than 10 percent in the first nine months of 2026, putting the country on course for another annual record, according to preliminary figures from Statistics Finland.
Police recorded more than 36,000 reports of suspected assaults between January and September, a significant rise from the same period in 2025. The statistics agency said the figures suggest the total number of reported assaults could reach a new high by the end of the year.
“This year, an average of 4,000 assault offenses have come to light each month, so it strongly appears that a new record will again be seen in the total number of assaults by the end of the year,” Kimmo Haapakangas, a senior statistician at Statistics Finland, said in a press release.
The previous annual record was set in 2025, when police received approximately 44,600 reports of suspected assaults. If the current pace continues, the total for 2026 could exceed that figure.
The increase is not limited to one part of Finland. Every regional police department reported a rise in assault reports, according to Statistics Finland. The trend has been particularly pronounced in Western Uusimaa and Eastern Uusimaa, where the number of reported assaults has doubled compared with 2015 levels.
The figures cover reported or suspected offences and should not automatically be interpreted as a direct measure of the overall level of violence in society. Police reports record incidents that come to the attention of authorities, and the statistics alone do not explain why the numbers have increased.
Statistics Finland’s interim figures also showed that suspected homicides remained unchanged compared with the same period last year. There were 56 suspected homicides recorded between January and September 2026, matching the total for the first nine months of 2025.
The number of attempted homicides also remained broadly stable. Police recorded 306 suspected attempted homicides in the first nine months of 2026, compared with 305 during the corresponding period in 2025.
The figures therefore show different trends across categories of violent crime. Reports of suspected assaults have risen sharply, while the recorded numbers of suspected homicides and attempted homicides have remained almost unchanged over the same period.
Statistics Finland’s latest figures provide an interim picture rather than a final annual total. The full-year statistics will show whether assault reports in 2026 surpass last year’s record.
