El Prat de Llobregat tops Spain's crime rate in 2024

El Prat de Llobregat recorded **225.1 offences** per thousand inhabitants in **2024**, according to the **INE**. It nearly doubles **Adeje**, the second on the list, and the airport significantly influences the figure.

According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), in its report Urban Indicators 2026, the locality recorded 225.1 criminal offences per thousand inhabitants in 2024, the highest rate among municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants in the entire country.

The figure nearly doubles that of Adeje (126.0), in Tenerife, which ranks second, and is more than double that of Barcelona (103.5), which comes in fourth place.

A significant part of the result is related to the Barcelona-El Prat Airport, which is located within the municipality. According to the City Council of El Prat, the Ministry of the Interior attributes the crimes committed in the infrastructure to the municipality, which the council estimates accounts for around half of the offences. However, these crimes are distributed among residents and not among passengers, distorting the interpretation of the rate.

Nevertheless, the data reflects the worst moment for the terminal in terms of thefts. Over a decade, thefts in the facility have multiplied tenfold, peaking in October 2024, with one thousand thefts in a single month. Almost two out of three were pickpocketing incidents.

The Mossos d'Esquadra increased from 126 agents stationed at the airport in September 2024 to 203. This reinforcement coincides with a drastic drop in thefts in the area.

Following El Prat, the next Catalan municipality on the list is Salou, third in Spain with 120.9 offences per thousand inhabitants. Although it does not have an airport, tourism heavily influences its figures: it has around 31,000 inhabitants and receives over 2 million visitors annually.

At the opposite end, Catalonia also has the municipality with the fewest crimes in Spain: Olesa de Montserrat, with 17.6 offences per thousand inhabitants. For the resident of El Prat, the figure largely depends on the airport that shares its municipality. The complete details by municipality are available in the Urban Indicators 2026 report by the INE.