Cities in Germany

All 79 cities in Germany with more than 100,000 residents: the official population, a short profile and the crime rate recorded by the police, set against the rate for Germany.

Municipalities (Gemeinden) with at least 100,000 residents on 31 December 2025, on the basis of the 2022 census.

How to read the figures

• Population is the latest official figure from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
• The crime rate is: offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025, from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), police crime statistics (PKS). National rate: Germany 65.9.
• The police crime statistics count only offences that become known to the police, where they were committed; cities that draw commuters, shoppers and visitors also record offences by and against non-residents.
• Compare cities within Germany only: every country defines and records crime differently.
• The figure is not your personal risk: offences are counted where they happen, so city centres with many commuters and visitors record higher rates.

All 79 cities

City	Region	Residents	Crime rate
Berlin	Berlin	3,700,577	136.4
Hamburg	Hamburg	1,869,473	112.0
Munich	Bavaria	1,505,036	60.6
Cologne	North Rhine-Westphalia	1,025,523	127.3
Frankfurt am Main	Hesse	760,656	150.3
Düsseldorf	North Rhine-Westphalia	619,444	130.0
Leipzig	Saxony	615,932	107.2
Stuttgart	Baden-Württemberg	609,365	88.0
Dortmund	North Rhine-Westphalia	600,880	114.5
Bremen	Bremen	588,413	135.6
Essen	North Rhine-Westphalia	573,618	90.1
Dresden	Saxony	562,764	77.8
Nuremberg	Bavaria	531,159	72.1
Hanover	Lower Saxony	522,803	128.5
Duisburg	North Rhine-Westphalia	500,810	104.0
Bochum	North Rhine-Westphalia	358,880	85.4
Wuppertal	North Rhine-Westphalia	357,243	98.9
Bielefeld	North Rhine-Westphalia	331,419	80.4
Bonn	North Rhine-Westphalia	323,587	85.9
Mannheim	Baden-Württemberg	319,536	98.1
Karlsruhe	Baden-Württemberg	309,247	74.1
Münster	North Rhine-Westphalia	306,368	100.7
Augsburg	Bavaria	301,786	64.6
Wiesbaden	Hesse	288,584	75.5
Mönchengladbach	North Rhine-Westphalia	267,176	91.7
Gelsenkirchen	North Rhine-Westphalia	266,199	89.4
Aachen	North Rhine-Westphalia	263,703	107.3
Braunschweig	Lower Saxony	252,811	80.7
Kiel	Schleswig-Holstein	251,842	99.6
Chemnitz	Saxony	247,252	92.7
Magdeburg	Saxony-Anhalt	244,494	115.7
Freiburg im Breisgau	Baden-Württemberg	238,299	96.3
Krefeld	North Rhine-Westphalia	230,738	90.4
Halle (Saale)	Saxony-Anhalt	226,186	128.2
Mainz	Rhineland-Palatinate	223,888	66.0
Erfurt	Thuringia	217,159	110.7
Lübeck	Schleswig-Holstein	217,061	91.6
Oberhausen	North Rhine-Westphalia	213,178	81.1
Rostock	Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania	204,929	83.2
Kassel	Hesse	196,799	102.6
Hagen	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	189,983	85.6
Potsdam	Brandenburg	185,137	68.6
Saarbrücken	Saarland	182,859	122.7
Hamm	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	179,108	99.3
Ludwigshafen	Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)	177,355	84.8
Oldenburg	Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)	177,055	72.3
Mülheim an der Ruhr	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	171,674	63.6
Leverkusen	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	168,299	70.2
Darmstadt	Hesse (Hessen)	168,253	76.7
Osnabrück	Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)	166,257	103.1
Solingen	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	164,621	65.7
Herne	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	156,266	86.5
Heidelberg	Baden-Württemberg	156,092	81.9
Paderborn	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	155,906	85.0
Neuss	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	153,767	88.9
Regensburg	Bavaria (Bayern)	151,517	86.2
Ingolstadt	Bavaria (Bayern)	140,799	70.5
Pforzheim	Baden-Württemberg	134,422	58.1
Würzburg	Bavaria (Bayern)	133,753	71.8
Offenbach am Main	Hesse (Hessen)	133,195	68.2
Heilbronn	Baden-Württemberg	132,516	78.8
Fürth	Bavaria (Bayern)	131,344	43.9
Göttingen	Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)	130,521	107.6
Ulm	Baden-Württemberg	130,288	78.5
Wolfsburg	Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)	129,813	78.4
Reutlingen	Baden-Württemberg	119,040	60.7
Bremerhaven	Bremen (Freie Hansestadt Bremen)	118,502	123.5
Bottrop	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	118,482	73.3
Erlangen	Bavaria (Bayern)	116,450	44.3
Recklinghausen	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	114,851	85.2
Remscheid	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	113,333	66.5
Koblenz	Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)	113,020	90.6
Bergisch Gladbach	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	111,174	64.2
Jena	Thuringia (Thüringen)	109,353	61.2
Trier	Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)	105,054	105.3
Salzgitter	Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)	104,433	66.1
Siegen	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	102,450	68.8
Moers	North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)	101,298	68.0
Kaiserslautern	Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)	100,247	105.0

The cities, from largest

Berlin

Berlin · 3,700,577 residents on 31 December 2025.

Berlin is Germany's capital and largest city, and also a federal state governed by the Senate and the Governing Mayor. Its universities include Freie Universität, Humboldt-Universität and Technische Universität Berlin, which form the Berlin University Alliance with Charité.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Berlin 136.4, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Politics and Administration for Berlin – Berlin.de (State of Berlin), Berlin University Alliance – homepage

Hamburg

Hamburg · 1,869,473 residents on 31 December 2025.

Hamburg is a city-state, one of Germany's 16 federal states, and the country's second-largest city. Its port is Germany's largest seaport, and the aviation industry is anchored by Airbus, Lufthansa Technik and Hamburg Airport.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Hamburg 112.0, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Politik & Verwaltung – hamburg.de (Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg), Hafenpolitik und Hafenwirtschaft – hamburg.de (Behörde für Wirtschaft), Luftfahrt und Flugzeugbau in der Metropolregion Hamburg – metropolregion.hamburg.de

Munich (München)

Bavaria · 1,505,036 residents on 31 December 2025.

Munich is the capital of Bavaria, and eight of Bavaria's eleven DAX-listed companies are based in the city and its surrounding area. About 150,000 students are enrolled at three large public universities and at least 16 smaller institutions in and around Munich.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Munich 60.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Key figures – City of Munich, Department of Labor and Economic Development

Cologne (Köln)

North Rhine-Westphalia · 1,025,523 residents on 31 December 2025.

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city and the largest in North Rhine-Westphalia, with about 100,000 students at 30 higher-education institutions. Two of Germany's largest television broadcasters have their headquarters here, and film and television employ more than 15,000 people.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Cologne 127.3, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Studieren in Köln – Stadt Köln, Medienstandort Köln – Stadt Köln

Frankfurt am Main

Hesse · 760,656 residents on 31 December 2025.

Frankfurt am Main is Germany's fifth-largest city and the seat of the European Central Bank. Frankfurt Airport, operated by Fraport, is the country's largest aviation hub, and Goethe University has five campuses in the city.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Frankfurt am Main 150.3, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: The ECB's main building – European Central Bank, About Us – Fraport AG, Goethe University Frankfurt – homepage

Düsseldorf

North Rhine-Westphalia · 619,444 residents on 31 December 2025.

Düsseldorf is the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, and a base for international companies in industry, trade and services. It has an international airport and a major trade-fair centre, and is a hub for communications, advertising and fashion.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Düsseldorf 130.0, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaft und Standort – Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf

Leipzig

Saxony · 615,932 residents on 31 December 2025.

Leipzig is Saxony's largest city and has around 24,000 businesses, with automotive, logistics, media and creative industries, and tourism among its focus sectors. The city also promotes life sciences, the digital economy and green technology, and has 40,490 students.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Leipzig 107.2, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaft – Stadt Leipzig

Stuttgart

Baden-Württemberg · 609,365 residents on 31 December 2025.

Stuttgart is the capital of Baden-Württemberg and a centre of the automotive industry, with internationally known car brands and many suppliers based in the city. Information technology and mechanical engineering are other key sectors, and the University of Stuttgart runs a high-performance computing centre.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Stuttgart 88.0, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Top-Branchen – Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart, Standort Stuttgart – Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart

Dortmund

North Rhine-Westphalia · 600,880 residents on 31 December 2025.

Dortmund is one of Germany's major logistics locations, with more than 900 logistics firms, its own airport, Europe's largest canal port and connections to six motorways. Nearly 50,000 students of technical subjects are enrolled at its universities, colleges and institutes.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Dortmund 114.5, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Standort Dortmund – Wirtschaftsförderung Dortmund (City of Dortmund)

Bremen

Bremen · 588,413 residents on 31 December 2025.

Bremen and Bremerhaven together form the two-city state of Bremen, Germany's smallest federal state. Its key sectors are automotive, aerospace, maritime industry and logistics, wind energy and food, and the Mercedes-Benz plant is the largest private employer.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Bremen 135.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaftsstandort Bremen – WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen, Große Unternehmen in Bremen – WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen

Essen

North Rhine-Westphalia · 573,618 residents on 31 December 2025.

Essen, in the Ruhr area, is a centre of the energy industry and the headquarters city of companies including RWE and Evonik Industries. It is home to the University of Duisburg-Essen, one of Germany's ten largest universities, and the Folkwang University of the Arts.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Essen 90.1, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadtporträt – Stadt Essen, Energiewirtschaft in Essen – Zahlen, Daten und Fakten – Stadt Essen, Hochschulen in Essen – Stadt Essen

Dresden

Saxony · 562,764 residents on 31 December 2025.

Dresden is the capital of Saxony and a centre of microelectronics, where chipmakers including Infineon, GlobalFoundries and Bosch have plants and TSMC is building its first European fab through the ESMC joint venture. TU Dresden is one of Germany's eleven Universities of Excellence.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Dresden 77.8, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Mikroelektronik – Landeshauptstadt Dresden, Wissenschaft & Forschung – Landeshauptstadt Dresden

Nuremberg (Nürnberg)

Bavaria · 531,159 residents on 31 December 2025.

Nuremberg is Bavaria's second-largest city and a technology location for microelectronics, automation, energy and transport technology, medical technology and artificial intelligence. Large employers include Siemens, Siemens Energy, DATEV, MAN, Bosch, Diehl and the Nürnberger insurance group.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Nuremberg 72.1, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaftsstandort – Wirtschaftsförderung Nürnberg (City of Nuremberg)

Hanover (Hannover)

Lower Saxony · 522,803 residents on 31 December 2025.

Hanover is the capital of Lower Saxony. The Hanover Region has Germany's largest exhibition centre, an airport of supra-regional importance and about 51,000 students at institutions such as Leibniz University and Hannover Medical School.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Hanover 128.5, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Economic and industry structure – Wirtschaftsförderung Hannover (City and Region of Hanover), Gemeindeverzeichnis: Alle politisch selbständigen Gemeinden am 31.12.2025 (official name 'Hannover, Landeshauptstadt') – Destatis

Duisburg

North Rhine-Westphalia · 500,810 residents on 31 December 2025.

Duisburg lies in the Rhine-Ruhr conurbation and is a steel-industry centre where thyssenkrupp Steel Europe is headquartered. Its port, operated by duisport, describes itself as the world's largest inland port and makes the city a logistics hub for Europe.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Duisburg 104.0, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaft Duisburg – Stadtportal Duisburg, duisport – homepage (Duisburger Hafen AG), thyssenkrupp Steel – company profile and contact (thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG, Duisburg)

Bochum

North Rhine-Westphalia · 358,880 residents on 31 December 2025.

Bochum, in the Ruhr area, has nine higher-education institutions and more than 60,000 students, making it one of Germany's largest university locations. They include Ruhr University Bochum, which has 21 faculties on one campus.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Bochum 85.4, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaft – Stadt Bochum, About us – Ruhr University Bochum

Wuppertal

North Rhine-Westphalia · 357,243 residents on 31 December 2025.

Wuppertal's suspension railway (Schwebebahn) runs eight to twelve metres above the River Wupper, linking 20 stations between Vohwinkel and Oberbarmen in about 30 minutes. The University of Wuppertal has schools of engineering, art and design, and education, among others.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Wuppertal 98.9, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: The suspension monorail – Schwebebahn (Wuppertaler Stadtwerke), University of Wuppertal – homepage

Bielefeld

North Rhine-Westphalia · 331,419 residents on 31 December 2025.

Bielefeld is the economic centre of the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region; its main sectors include food, mechanical engineering, metalworking and health and social services, and the food company Dr. August Oetker is based here. Higher-education institutions include Bielefeld University.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Bielefeld 80.4, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Standort Bielefeld – Übersicht – WEGE (municipal business development agency of Bielefeld), Hochschulstandort Bielefeld – Stadt Bielefeld

Bonn

North Rhine-Westphalia · 323,587 residents on 31 December 2025.

Bonn hosts the secretariat of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), which has been located in the city since 1996. The University of Bonn, a University of Excellence with eight Clusters of Excellence, has about 31,500 students.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Bonn 85.9, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: About the Secretariat – UNFCCC, University of Bonn – homepage

Mannheim

Baden-Württemberg · 319,536 residents on 31 December 2025.

Mannheim, where the Rhine and Neckar rivers meet, is the economic and cultural centre of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. Its main station is one of Germany's most important ICE rail hubs, and the city has Europe's fourth-largest inland port and a city airport.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Mannheim 98.1, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaftsstandort – Stadt Mannheim

Karlsruhe

Baden-Württemberg · 309,247 residents on 31 December 2025.

Karlsruhe is the seat of the Federal Constitutional Court and the Federal Court of Justice. Located between the Black Forest, Alsace and the Palatinate, it is a high-tech and IT location and home to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Karlsruhe 74.1, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Mit Recht. Karlsruhe – Stadt Karlsruhe, Wirtschaftsstandort – Stadt Karlsruhe, KIT – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology – homepage

Münster

North Rhine-Westphalia · 306,368 residents on 31 December 2025.

Münster is the regional centre of the Münsterland, with around 60,000 students at ten higher-education institutions, including the University of Münster. The university and its hospital are the city's largest employers, and small and medium-sized firms shape the local economy.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Münster 100.7, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft – Stadt Münster

Augsburg

Bavaria · 301,786 residents on 31 December 2025.

Augsburg, the main city of Bavarian Swabia, is a UNESCO World Heritage city with a university, a university hospital and a university of applied sciences. Its established manufacturing strengths are environmental technology, information and communication technology, lightweight construction, and mechatronics and automation.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Augsburg 64.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaftsförderung Augsburg – Stadt Augsburg

Wiesbaden

Hesse · 288,584 residents on 31 December 2025.

Wiesbaden is the capital of Hesse and the seat of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Its economy combines industry, banking and insurance, retail, skilled trades and a broad service sector.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Wiesbaden 75.5, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaft – Landeshauptstadt Wiesbaden, Impressum – Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)

Mönchengladbach

North Rhine-Westphalia · 267,176 residents on 31 December 2025.

Mönchengladbach lies near Düsseldorf, Cologne and the Dutch and Belgian borders, and is served by four motorways, two main railway stations and its own airport. Hochschule Niederrhein offers programmes including textiles and clothing, mechanical engineering and business.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Mönchengladbach 91.7, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Standort & Wirtschaft – Stadt Mönchengladbach

Gelsenkirchen

North Rhine-Westphalia · 266,199 residents on 31 December 2025.

Gelsenkirchen lies in the middle of the Ruhr area, with focus sectors including chemicals, metals, logistics, health and future energy technologies. The Westfälische Hochschule has its headquarters here, and the city's port is the busiest public port on the Rhine-Herne Canal.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Gelsenkirchen 89.4, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaft – Stadt Gelsenkirchen, Lage und Infrastruktur – Stadt Gelsenkirchen, Westfälische Hochschule – Stadt Gelsenkirchen

Aachen

North Rhine-Westphalia · 263,703 residents on 31 December 2025.

Aachen has seven higher-education institutions, including RWTH Aachen University, with more than 60,000 students in total. Its economy works closely with Belgium and the Netherlands, and key sectors include energy, digital technology and sustainable industry.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Aachen 107.3, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaft & Wissenschaft – Stadt Aachen

Braunschweig

Lower Saxony · 252,811 residents on 31 December 2025.

Braunschweig is a research centre, home to the Technische Universität Braunschweig, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and more than 20 other research institutions. The Research Airport in the north of the city is one of Europe's main centres for mobility research.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Braunschweig 80.7, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaftsstandort – Stadt Braunschweig

Kiel

Schleswig-Holstein · 251,842 residents on 31 December 2025.

Kiel is the capital of Schleswig-Holstein and a maritime city where ships and submarines are still built. Services generate about 85 per cent of its gross value added, and its four higher-education institutions have more than 35,000 students.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Kiel 99.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Der Wirtschaftsstandort Kiel – Landeshauptstadt Kiel

Chemnitz

Saxony · 247,252 residents on 31 December 2025.

Chemnitz is an industrial city focused on the automotive and supplier industry, mechanical and plant engineering, and information technology, mostly with medium-sized firms. Chemnitz University of Technology has about 8,300 students, and the city was a European Capital of Culture in 2025.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Chemnitz 92.7, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Zehn Gründe für den Standort Chemnitz – Stadt Chemnitz

Magdeburg

Saxony-Anhalt · 244,494 residents on 31 December 2025.

Magdeburg is the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, where mechanical and plant engineering is a leading industry alongside logistics, ICT and health care. Around 20,000 students attend Otto von Guericke University and Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Magdeburg 115.7, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaftsstandort – Landeshauptstadt Magdeburg, Schwerpunktbranchen – Landeshauptstadt Magdeburg

Freiburg im Breisgau

Baden-Württemberg · 238,299 residents on 31 December 2025.

Freiburg im Breisgau is the regional centre of South Baden, where Germany, France and Switzerland meet, with growth sectors including environmental industries, renewable energy, health and life sciences. Some 33,000 students attend the University of Freiburg, founded in 1457, and five other institutions.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Freiburg im Breisgau 96.3, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaftsstandort Freiburg – FWTM (City of Freiburg business development), Wissenschaftsstadt Freiburg – FWTM

Krefeld

North Rhine-Westphalia · 230,738 residents on 31 December 2025.

Krefeld is an industrial city on the Rhine next to Düsseldorf whose economy grew out of the textile industry. Large chemical, stainless-steel, metalworking and mechanical-engineering firms generate over 40 per cent of its gross value added, and Hochschule Niederrhein has a campus here.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Krefeld 90.4, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Krefeld als Wirtschaftsstandort – Stadt Krefeld

Halle (Saale)

Saxony-Anhalt · 226,186 residents on 31 December 2025.

Halle (Saale) is the seat of the Leopoldina, Germany's National Academy of Sciences. Around 22,000 students are enrolled at the city's three higher-education institutions, and all major German research organisations run institutes here.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Halle (Saale) 128.2, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wissenschaft – Stadt Halle (Saale)

Mainz

Rhineland-Palatinate · 223,888 residents on 31 December 2025.

Mainz is the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate and home to Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. The public broadcaster ZDF has its headquarters in the city.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Mainz 66.0, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaft – Landeshauptstadt Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz – homepage, Impressum – ZDF

Erfurt

Thuringia · 217,159 residents on 31 December 2025.

Erfurt is the capital of Thuringia and the seat of the Federal Labour Court. Its economy focuses on mechanical and plant engineering, media, horticulture and food, technologies such as microtechnology, photovoltaics, sensors and IT, and logistics.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Erfurt 110.7, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaft – Landeshauptstadt Erfurt, Bundesarbeitsgericht – homepage (Federal Labour Court)

Lübeck

Schleswig-Holstein · 217,061 residents on 31 December 2025.

Lübeck is a Hanseatic city whose port is the south-westernmost cargo port on the Baltic Sea. Its Skandinavienkai terminal in Travemünde, one of Europe's largest ferry terminals, specialises in roll-on/roll-off traffic to Sweden, Finland and Latvia.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Lübeck 91.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Lübecker Häfen – Hansestadt Lübeck (Lübeck Port Authority)

Oberhausen

North Rhine-Westphalia · 213,178 residents on 31 December 2025.

Oberhausen, in the Ruhr area, has a long industrial tradition and has undergone structural change centred on its Neue Mitte district. The district, which includes the Westfield Centro shopping and leisure centre, draws over 23 million visitors a year, and four motorways cross the city.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Oberhausen 81.1, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadtportrait – Stadt Oberhausen

Rostock

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania · 204,929 residents on 31 December 2025.

Rostock is a Baltic port city where the port, shipping and shipbuilding play a major role in the economy, and ocean-technology firms are settling at the Ocean Technology Campus. The city's university was founded in 1419.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Rostock 83.2, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Maritime Wirtschaft – Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock, Bildung & Wissenschaft – Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock

Kassel

Hesse · 196,799 residents on 31 December 2025.

Kassel is the regional centre of North Hesse, and its location at the junction of major transport routes makes it a base for trade, logistics, services and industry. Several higher-education institutions and research institutes, including Fraunhofer IEE, are based in the city.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Kassel 102.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Unternehmen/Wirtschaft – Stadt Kassel

Hagen

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 189,983 residents on 31 December 2025.

Hagen is an industrial city set between the Ruhr area and the South Westphalia region of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is home to the FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany's only state distance-learning university.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Hagen 85.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Hagen – Wirtschaft, Stadt Hagen – Stadtporträt, FernUniversität in Hagen – Germany's State Distance-Learning University

Potsdam

Brandenburg · 185,137 residents on 31 December 2025.

Potsdam is the capital and largest city of Brandenburg, close to the federal capital Berlin. The city describes itself as a centre of science, research and media, with the University of Potsdam, a university of applied sciences, a film school and over 40 scientific institutions.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Potsdam 68.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Landeshauptstadt Potsdam – Die Landeshauptstadt Potsdam: Ein Kurzporträt, Landeshauptstadt Potsdam – Science and Education

Saarbrücken

Saarland · 182,859 residents on 31 December 2025.

Saarbrücken is the capital and largest city of Saarland and the region's economic centre, close to the French border. Its six higher-education institutions, including Saarland University, have over 20,000 students, and IT and artificial intelligence are important sectors.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Saarbrücken 122.7, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Landeshauptstadt Saarbrücken – Wirtschaftsstandort Saarbrücken, Landeshauptstadt Saarbrücken – Hochschulen, Tourismus Saarbrücken (Landeshauptstadt Saarbrücken) – Saarbrücken

Hamm

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 179,108 residents on 31 December 2025.

Hamm lies at the eastern gateway to the Ruhr area, where rail, canal and road meet, and promotes itself as a logistics location. Its main station is a junction of major ICE lines, and Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences has a campus here.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Hamm 99.3, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Hamm – Logistik: Überblick, Stadt Hamm – Kurze Wege (Studium in Hamm), Stadt Hamm – Hochschule Hamm-Lippstadt

Ludwigshafen (Ludwigshafen am Rhein)

Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) · 177,355 residents on 31 December 2025.

Ludwigshafen am Rhein is Rhineland-Palatinate's second-largest city and the headquarters of chemical company BASF, whose main site there employs around 33,000 people. The Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society has about 4,500 students in economics, social sciences and healthcare.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Ludwigshafen 84.8, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: BASF – Der Standort Ludwigshafen, Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft Ludwigshafen – Studying in Ludwigshafen

Oldenburg (Oldenburg (Oldb))

Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) · 177,055 residents on 31 December 2025.

Oldenburg is the third-largest city in Lower Saxony and the registered seat of energy company EWE. The Carl von Ossietzky University, founded in 1973, has around 15,000 students, including in medicine, and the Jade University of Applied Sciences also has a campus here.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Oldenburg 72.3, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: University of Oldenburg – Profile of the university, Stadt Oldenburg – Jade Hochschule, EWE AG – Imprint

Mülheim an der Ruhr

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 171,674 residents on 31 December 2025.

Mülheim an der Ruhr is a city on the Ruhr river whose economy has shifted towards trade, services, research and technology. It hosts the Max Planck Institutes for Coal Research and for Chemical Energy Conversion, and Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences, founded in 2009.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Mülheim an der Ruhr 63.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Mülheim an der Ruhr – Stadt am Fluss, Stadt Mülheim an der Ruhr – Hochschule Ruhr West

Leverkusen

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 168,299 residents on 31 December 2025.

Leverkusen lies between Cologne and Düsseldorf and is home to the global headquarters of Bayer AG. The chemical industry, concentrated in the Chempark industrial park, is central to the city's economy.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Leverkusen 70.2, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Leverkusen – Autobahn, Stadt Leverkusen – Wirtschaftsstandort, Bayer Deutschland – Standort Leverkusen

Darmstadt

Hesse (Hessen) · 168,253 residents on 31 December 2025.

Darmstadt, in the south of the Rhine-Main metropolitan region, has held the title 'Wissenschaftsstadt' (City of Science) since 1997 and has more than 40,000 students. Companies based there include Merck and Software AG, and IT and telecommunications are key sectors.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Darmstadt 76.7, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wissenschaftsstadt Darmstadt – Stadtporträt, Wissenschaftsstadt Darmstadt – Wissenschaft

Osnabrück

Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) · 166,257 residents on 31 December 2025.

Osnabrück is Lower Saxony's fourth-largest city, with many medium-sized firms in automotive and logistics, health, and food and agricultural technology. More than 28,000 people study at its university and university of applied sciences, and it is linked to the A1, A30 and A33 motorways.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Osnabrück 103.1, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Osnabrück – Wirtschaftlich

Solingen

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 164,621 residents on 31 December 2025.

Solingen, officially the 'Klingenstadt' (City of Blades), is an industrial city near Cologne, Düsseldorf and Wuppertal where many firms still manufacture locally, including cutlery maker Zwilling, founded there in 1731. It is linked to the A1, A3 and A46 motorways and has an ICE station.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Solingen 65.7, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Wirtschaftsförderung Solingen – Wirtschaftsstandort Solingen

Herne

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 156,266 residents on 31 December 2025.

Herne lies in the middle of the Ruhr metropolitan area, where former colliery sites have been turned into industrial estates, business parks and green spaces. Its most important economic sectors are healthcare, logistics, mechanical engineering and chemicals.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Herne 86.5, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Herne – Standort Herne

Heidelberg

Baden-Württemberg · 156,092 residents on 31 December 2025.

Heidelberg is home to the first university founded in present-day Germany (1386), which with its university hospital is the city's largest employer. Research institutions in the city include the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and four Max Planck Institutes.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Heidelberg 81.9, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Heidelberg – Wissenschaftsstadt Heidelberg, Stadt Heidelberg – Talente aus Wirtschaft & Forschung

Paderborn

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 155,906 residents on 31 December 2025.

Paderborn, a cathedral city and the largest municipality in the district of Paderborn, has a broad economic mix ranging from medium-sized world-market leaders to start-ups. Paderborn University has five faculties, including computer science, electrical engineering and mathematics, and offers 70 degree programmes.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Paderborn 85.0, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Paderborn – Wirtschaftsstandort, Stadt Paderborn – Bildung & Universität, Paderborn University – Home

Neuss

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 153,767 residents on 31 December 2025.

Neuss, founded as the Roman military camp Novaesium in 16 BC, is one of the oldest towns on the left bank of the Lower Rhine and the largest in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district. Its Rhine port is run together with Düsseldorf's ports by Neuss-Düsseldorfer Häfen.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Neuss 88.9, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Neuss – Stadtportrait, Neuss-Düsseldorfer Häfen (NDH) – Startseite

Regensburg

Bavaria (Bayern) · 151,517 residents on 31 December 2025.

Regensburg is a UNESCO World Heritage city in the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria, with manufacturing industry, technology companies and more than 148,000 jobs. Its three higher-education institutions, including the University of Regensburg and the Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule, have about 33,000 students.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Regensburg 86.2, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Regensburg – Wirtschaftsstandort, Stadt Regensburg – Wissenschaftsstandort

Ingolstadt

Bavaria (Bayern) · 140,799 residents on 31 December 2025.

Ingolstadt in Upper Bavaria is the headquarters of carmaker AUDI AG, where around 40,000 people work. Higher education includes the Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, with over 80 degree programmes, and the business faculty of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Ingolstadt 70.5, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Audi – Audi in Ingolstadt, Stadt Ingolstadt – Wissenschaft

Pforzheim

Baden-Württemberg · 134,422 residents on 31 December 2025.

Pforzheim is the economic and cultural centre of the Northern Black Forest region, between the Karlsruhe and Stuttgart conurbations. Known as the 'Goldstadt', it remains the centre of Germany's jewellery and watch industry, alongside many medium-sized technology firms and a university of applied sciences.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Pforzheim 58.1, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Pforzheim – Wirtschaft, WSP Wirtschaft und Stadtmarketing Pforzheim – Startseite

Würzburg

Bavaria (Bayern) · 133,753 residents on 31 December 2025.

Würzburg is a university city in Lower Franconia, Bavaria, where the A3, A7 and A81 motorways meet. Its three higher-education institutions, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt and the University of Music, have more than 32,000 students.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Würzburg 71.8, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Würzburg – Standortfaktoren, Stadt Würzburg – Hochschulen

Offenbach am Main

Hesse (Hessen) · 133,195 residents on 31 December 2025.

Offenbach am Main, Hesse's fifth-largest city, borders Frankfurt in the heart of the Rhine-Main region and is linked to it by S-Bahn. Its economy is service-based, with a focus on the creative industries and knowledge-intensive services, and Frankfurt Airport is about 20 minutes away.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Offenbach am Main 68.2, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Offenbach am Main – Standorte & Potenziale

Heilbronn

Baden-Württemberg · 132,516 residents on 31 December 2025.

Heilbronn, officially a 'Universitätsstadt', is home to Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, with around 8,300 students, and the education campus of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation. An Innovation Park for Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) is being developed near the A6 motorway with start-up funding from Baden-Württemberg.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Heilbronn 78.8, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Heilbronn – Hochschule Heilbronn, Stadt Heilbronn – Hintergrund zum IPAI

Fürth

Bavaria (Bayern) · 131,344 residents on 31 December 2025.

Fürth is the second-largest city in Middle Franconia and lies in the heart of the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region, with a strong service sector. It holds the title 'Wissenschaftsstadt' and hosts facilities of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, an SRH university campus and a Fraunhofer IIS X-ray technology centre.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Fürth 43.9, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Fürth – Wirtschaftsstandort, Stadt Fürth – Wissenschaftsstadt

Göttingen

Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) · 130,521 residents on 31 December 2025.

Göttingen is the economic centre of southern Lower Saxony, where nearly 70,000 people work in industry, science, trade and crafts. Its Georg-August-Universität, founded in 1737, and two other higher-education institutions have more than 30,000 students, and several Max Planck Institutes are based in the city.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Göttingen 107.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Göttingen – Wirtschaft, Stadt Göttingen – Stadtporträt, Stadt Göttingen – Hochschulen

Ulm

Baden-Württemberg · 130,288 residents on 31 December 2025.

Ulm lies between Munich and Stuttgart where the A7 and A8 motorways cross; the regional economy's key sectors include commercial vehicles and pharmaceuticals. Its science campus around Ulm University is the city's largest employer, and over 14,000 people study at its higher-education institutions.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Ulm 78.5, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Ulm – Wirtschaftsstandort Ulm, Stadt Ulm – Erfolgsmodell Wissenschaftsstadt

Wolfsburg

Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) · 129,813 residents on 31 December 2025.

Wolfsburg in Lower Saxony is the headquarters of the Volkswagen Group. Volkswagen's main plant, which builds models including the Golf and Tiguan, is in the city, next to the Autostadt exhibition and visitor centre.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Wolfsburg 78.4, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Volkswagen Group – Sites, Volkswagen Newsroom – Wolfsburg plant

Reutlingen

Baden-Württemberg · 119,040 residents on 31 December 2025.

Reutlingen, a former Free Imperial City at the foot of the Swabian Jura, is the largest town in its district, about 31 km from Stuttgart. Reutlingen University has around 5,000 students from over 80 countries in six faculties, including the ESB Business School.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Reutlingen 60.7, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Reutlingen – Daten & Fakten, Hochschule Reutlingen – Unser Profil

Bremerhaven

Bremen (Freie Hansestadt Bremen) · 118,502 residents on 31 December 2025.

Bremerhaven, the second-largest city in the state of Bremen, is part of the Bremen port group, handling containers, cars and other cargo, and has a cruise terminal. It hosts the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research and Hochschule Bremerhaven, with about 3,000 students.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Bremerhaven 123.5, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: bremenports – Startseite, Stadt Bremerhaven – Wissenschaft, Stadt Bremerhaven – Hochschule Bremerhaven

Bottrop

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 118,482 residents on 31 December 2025.

Bottrop is a Ruhr-area city with a history of hard-coal mining; a former spoil heap of the Prosper-Haniel colliery is now an open-air cultural venue. Its economic development focuses on the circular economy, and Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences has a campus here.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Bottrop 73.3, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Bottrop – Halde Haniel, Stadt Bottrop – Green Economy & Kreislaufstadt, Stadt Bottrop – Barcamp an der HRW

Erlangen

Bavaria (Bayern) · 116,450 residents on 31 December 2025.

Erlangen is a high-tech location focused on medicine, energy technology, mobility and automation, with a Siemens site and about 63,000 people commuting in for work. It is home to Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Bavaria's second-largest university, with about 40,000 students in Erlangen and Nuremberg.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Erlangen 44.3, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Erlangen – High-Tech-Standort Erlangen, Stadt Erlangen – Hochschulstandort, Stadt Erlangen – Zum Studium in Erlangen

Recklinghausen

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 114,851 residents on 31 December 2025.

Recklinghausen, seat of the district administration, lies where the northern Ruhr area meets the southern Münsterland. It is a centre for trade and services, with federal and state authorities and universities of applied sciences, and has A2 and A43 motorway links and an ICE stop.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Recklinghausen 85.2, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Recklinghausen – Wirtschaftsstandort Recklinghausen, Stadt Recklinghausen – Neu in Recklinghausen

Remscheid

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 113,333 residents on 31 December 2025.

Remscheid, which took its present form in a 1929 municipal merger, describes itself as an important centre of the German tool industry. Physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was born here, and the German Röntgen Museum is in the city.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Remscheid 66.5, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Remscheid – Stadtportrait, Remscheid Tourismus – Historie, Deutsches Röntgen-Museum (Stadt Remscheid)

Koblenz

Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) · 113,020 residents on 31 December 2025.

Koblenz is a regional employment centre with about 97,000 jobs and an important Bundeswehr location, with about 7,500 staff and the armed forces' procurement office (BAAINBw). It hosts the University of Koblenz and Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, which has over 8,700 students.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Koblenz 90.6, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Koblenz – Wirtschaft / Arbeitsmarkt, Stadt Koblenz – Bundeswehr, Stadt Koblenz – Hochschul- & Bildungsstandort

Bergisch Gladbach

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 111,174 residents on 31 December 2025.

Bergisch Gladbach, the largest town in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis district, has an industrial history shaped by paper-making and today a mixed economy of manufacturing, high-tech and services. Its technology park hosts more than 140 businesses with about 2,300 employees.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Bergisch Gladbach 64.2, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Bergisch Gladbach – Standort Bergisch Gladbach

Jena

Thuringia (Thüringen) · 109,353 residents on 31 December 2025.

Jena, Thuringia's second-largest city, describes itself as the state's most important high-tech location, with companies such as ZEISS, Jenoptik and Schott. Jena University Hospital is the region's largest employer, and Friedrich Schiller University and Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences are based here.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Jena 61.2, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Jena – Wirtschaft, Stadt Jena – Wissenschaft

Trier

Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) · 105,054 residents on 31 December 2025.

Trier, which the city describes as Germany's oldest, is a regional centre directly next to Luxembourg, France and Belgium. Trier University has around 10,000 students, and the city's port is the only public inland port on the German stretch of the Moselle.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Trier 105.3, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Trier – Standort Trier, Stadt Trier – Trier auf einen Blick, Universität Trier – Hochschulporträt

Salzgitter

Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) · 104,433 residents on 31 December 2025.

Salzgitter in Lower Saxony is the registered seat of steel group Salzgitter AG, which employs around 25,000 people worldwide. Volkswagen's components plant in the city builds engines for more than 40 group models as well as components for electric vehicles.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Salzgitter 66.1, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Salzgitter AG – Konzern, Salzgitter AG – Impressum, Volkswagen Newsroom – Salzgitter plant

Siegen

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 102,450 residents on 31 December 2025.

Siegen, officially a 'Universitätsstadt', is the largest town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district of North Rhine-Westphalia. The University of Siegen had 12,545 students in the 2026 summer semester, and its business faculty has used a campus in the historic city centre since 2014.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Siegen 68.8, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Universität Siegen – Daten & Fakten, Stadt Siegen – Universität Siegen

Moers

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) · 101,298 residents on 31 December 2025.

Moers is a historic town on the left bank of the Lower Rhine, at the western edge of the Ruhr area. It is the largest town in the district of Wesel, and its town centre has about 65,000 square metres of retail space.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Moers 68.0, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: Stadt Moers – Stadtporträt

Kaiserslautern

Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) · 100,247 residents on 31 December 2025.

Kaiserslautern is home to the Rhineland-Palatinate University of Technology Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), which offers more than 160 degree programmes at its two locations. Several thousand people work in the city's high-tech sector, which has developed software, composite materials and weighing systems.

Offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Kaiserslautern 105.0, Germany 65.9.

Sources – population: Destatis · Crime: BKA police crime statistics · About the city: RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau – Startseite, Stadt Kaiserslautern – Kernkompetenzen

Sources and method

Population: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), Gemeindeverzeichnis-Informationssystem GV-ISys: 'Alle politisch selbständigen Gemeinden mit ausgewählten Merkmalen am 31.12.2025 (Jahr)' – population on the basis of the 2022 Census (published 27 Aug 2026; data file: destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Administrativ/Archiv/GVAuszugJ/31122025_Auszug_GV.xlsx?__blob=publicationFile&v=2). Crime: Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik (PKS) 2025 – Tabelle 01 'Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl', Bereich: Städte ab 100.000 Einwohner und Landeshauptstädte (ST-F-01-T01-Staedte-Faelle-HZ, version V1.1 of 21 Apr 2026; table page: bka.de/DE/AktuelleInformationen/StatistikenLagebilder/PolizeilicheKriminalstatistik/PKS2025/pksTabellen_Interpretationshilfen/StadtFalltabellen/stadtfalltabellen.html). Where a figure was not published for a city, we say so rather than estimate it. Found an error? Write to editor@relocateineurope.com.