Topic: Crime in the Philippines (2024)

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The Philippines has a moderately high rate of crime, violence, and terrorism. In 2021, the country was on the bottom five of the order and security index ranking across the region. Equally, the Philippines was among those with the highest incarceration rate in every hundred thousand inhabitants. Crime rates were particularly high in poorer neighborhoods and areas with larger populations and higher unemployment.

Most common types of crimes

The number of crimes committed in the Philippines significantly dropped in 2021 compared to the previous year, which can still be attributed to the lockdown restrictions implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the beginning of the year. Overall, theft was the most common index or focus crime, followed by rape and physical injury. These were crimes considered serious in nature and occurring regularly and frequently. Alternatively, reported cases of abuses against women and children gradually declined in recent years, along with cases of online sexual abuse and exploitation. Meanwhile, increasing cases of cyberattacks have been noted in recent years as more Filipinos turn to digital services.

Drug-related crimes

The campaign against illegal drugs continued in the Philippines, even after the term of former President Duterte ended. In 2021, the National Capital Region and Region 4-A recorded the highest number of arrested persons involved in illegal drugs. Out of more than 50 thousand arrested drug suspects, about 43 thousand of those were drug pushers, compared to just 400 drug den owner or maintainer. However, Region VII was identified with having the highest share of affected barangays with drugs nationwide.

Prison system

With high rates of criminality and limited prison capacity, prison facilities across the country have long been faced with overcrowding issues, in which most inmates were serving sentences without conviction. As of July 2021, there were over 215 thousand prisoners in just 40 prison facilities nationwide. The country’s prison situation was also characterized by high death tolls, with the total tally reaching about 1,200 in 2021.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Christy Balita

Research expert covering the Philippines

Published by Christy Balita, Dec 21, 2023

Key insights

Number of crime incidents in the Philippines: 379.5k

Detailed statistics

Number of crime incidents Philippines 2020-2023

Most prevalent index crime in the Philippines: Theft

Detailed statistics

Number of focus crimes Philippines 2023, by type

Number of reckless imprudence incidents resulting to homicide in the Philippines: 372

Detailed statistics

Number of non-index crimes Philippines 2023, by type

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Overview

Premium Statistic Order and security index APAC 2021, by country
Premium Statistic Number of prisoners APAC 2022, by country
Basic Statistic Number of crime incidents Philippines 2020-2023
Basic Statistic Number of crimes incidents Philippines 2023, by region
Premium Statistic Number of focus crimes Philippines 2023, by type
Premium Statistic Number of non-index crimes Philippines 2023, by type

Overview

Premium Statistic Order and security index APAC 2021, by country
Order and security index APAC 2021, by country
Order and security index in the Asia-Pacific region in 2021, by country or territory
Premium Statistic Number of prisoners APAC 2022, by country
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Number of prisoners APAC 2022, by country
Number of prisoners in the Asia-Pacific region in 2022, by country or territory (in 1,000s)
Basic Statistic Number of crime incidents Philippines 2020-2023
Number of crime incidents Philippines 2020-2023
Total number of criminal incidents recorded in the Philippines from 2020 to 2023 (in 1,000s)
Basic Statistic Number of crimes incidents Philippines 2023, by region
Number of crimes incidents Philippines 2023, by region
Total number of crime incidents in the Philippines as of September 2023, by region
Premium Statistic Number of focus crimes Philippines 2023, by type
Number of focus crimes Philippines 2023, by type
Number of focus crimes in the Philippines in 2023, by type
Premium Statistic Number of non-index crimes Philippines 2023, by type
Number of non-index crimes Philippines 2023, by type
Number of non-index crimes in the Philippines as of January 2023, by type

Crime against persons

Premium Statistic Number of crimes against persons Philippines 2023, by type
Premium Statistic Number of robbery cases Philippines 2020-2023
Premium Statistic Number of kidnapping cases Philippines 2019-2023
Premium Statistic Number of cases of violence against women and children Philippines 2016-2022
Premium Statistic Online sexual abuse and exploitation of children cases Philippines 2019-2020

Crime against persons

Premium Statistic Number of crimes against persons Philippines 2023, by type
Number of crimes against persons Philippines 2023, by type
Total number of crimes committed against persons in the Philippines in 2023, by type
Premium Statistic Number of robbery cases Philippines 2020-2023
Number of robbery cases Philippines 2020-2023
Total number of robbery cases in the Philippines from 2020 to 2023
Premium Statistic Number of kidnapping cases Philippines 2019-2023
Number of kidnapping cases Philippines 2019-2023
Total number of kidnapping cases in the Philippines from 2019 to 2023
Premium Statistic Number of cases of violence against women and children Philippines 2016-2022
Number of cases of violence against women and children Philippines 2016-2022
Number of reported cases of violence against women and children in the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Online sexual abuse and exploitation of children cases Philippines 2019-2020
Online sexual abuse and exploitation of children cases Philippines 2019-2020
Number of cases of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the Philippines between 2019 and 2020

Crime against properties

Premium Statistic Number of crimes against properties Philippines 2023, by type
Premium Statistic Number of damage to property incidents Philippines 2023, by region
Premium Statistic Number of arson cases Philippines 2019-2020

Crime against properties

Premium Statistic Number of crimes against properties Philippines 2023, by type
Number of crimes against properties Philippines 2023, by type
Total number of crimes against properties in the Philippines in 2023, by type
See Also
Best Place To Live In The Philippines 2024
Premium Statistic Number of damage to property incidents Philippines 2023, by region
Number of damage to property incidents Philippines 2023, by region
Number of damage to property incidents in the Philippines as of April 2023, by region
Premium Statistic Number of arson cases Philippines 2019-2020
Number of arson cases Philippines 2019-2020
Number of cases of arson filed in the Philippines between 2019 and 2020

Drug-related crime incidents

Premium Statistic Reported cases involving drugs Philippines 2021, by region
Premium Statistic Share of drug-affected barangays Philippines 2022, by region
Premium Statistic Number of arrested persons involved in illegal drugs Philippines 2021, by region
Premium Statistic Arrested drug suspects Philippines 2022, by classification
Premium Statistic Number of inmates with drug cases Philippines 2022, by region
Premium Statistic Seizure volume of select drugs Philippines 2022, by type

Drug-related crime incidents

Premium Statistic Reported cases involving drugs Philippines 2021, by region
Reported cases involving drugs Philippines 2021, by region
Number of reported cases involving illegal drugs in the Philippines in 2021, by region
Premium Statistic Share of drug-affected barangays Philippines 2022, by region
Share of drug-affected barangays Philippines 2022, by region
Share of barangays affected with drugs in the Philippines in 2022, by region
Premium Statistic Number of arrested persons involved in illegal drugs Philippines 2021, by region
Number of arrested persons involved in illegal drugs Philippines 2021, by region
Total number of arrested persons involved in illegal drugs in the Philippines in 2021, by region
Premium Statistic Arrested drug suspects Philippines 2022, by classification
Arrested drug suspects Philippines 2022, by classification
Number of arrested drug suspects in the Philippines in 2022, by classification
Premium Statistic Number of inmates with drug cases Philippines 2022, by region
Number of inmates with drug cases Philippines 2022, by region
Number of persons with deprived liberty (PDL) with drug cases in the Philippines as of June 30, 2022, by region
Premium Statistic Seizure volume of select drugs Philippines 2022, by type
Seizure volume of select drugs Philippines 2022, by type
Seizure volume of selected drugs in the Philippines in 2022, by drug type

Fraud cases

Premium Statistic Number of online scam cases Philippines 2019-2023
Premium Statistic Number of web threats via browsers detected and blocked Philippines 2017-2023
Premium Statistic Number of cyberattacks Philippines 2020-2021
Premium Statistic Detected financial-related phishing Philippines H1 2022, by platform
Premium Statistic Share of financial-related phishing attempts Philippines 2022, by type of institution

Fraud cases

Premium Statistic Number of online scam cases Philippines 2019-2023
Number of online scam cases Philippines 2019-2023
Number of online fraud incidents in the Philippines from 2019 to 2023
Premium Statistic Number of web threats via browsers detected and blocked Philippines 2017-2023
Number of web threats via browsers detected and blocked Philippines 2017-2023
Number of web threats via browsers detected and foiled in the Philippines from 2017 to 2023 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Number of cyberattacks Philippines 2020-2021
Number of cyberattacks Philippines 2020-2021
Number of cyberattacks in the Philippines from January 2020 to June 2021 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Detected financial-related phishing Philippines H1 2022, by platform
Detected financial-related phishing Philippines H1 2022, by platform
Number of financial-related phishing detected in the Philippines during the 1st half of 2022, by platform (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Share of financial-related phishing attempts Philippines 2022, by type of institution
Share of financial-related phishing attempts Philippines 2022, by type of institution
Share of financial-related phishing attempts in the Philippines between February to March 2022, by type of institution

Prison situation

Premium Statistic Number of jails Philippines 2022, by region
Premium Statistic Number of prisoners in jails Philippines 2022, by region
Basic Statistic Occupancy rate of penitentiaries Philippines 2024, by facility
Premium Statistic Congestion rate of penitentiary Philippines 2024, by facility
Premium Statistic Prison population share Philippines 2022, by gender
Premium Statistic Number of inmates who escaped from jails Philippines 2012-2023
Premium Statistic Number of inmates who died Philippines 2012-2023

Prison situation

Premium Statistic Number of jails Philippines 2022, by region
Number of jails Philippines 2022, by region
Number of jails in the Philippines as of June 2022, by region
Premium Statistic Number of prisoners in jails Philippines 2022, by region
Number of prisoners in jails Philippines 2022, by region
Number of detainees and sentenced individuals in jails in the Philippines as of June 2022, by region
Basic Statistic Occupancy rate of penitentiaries Philippines 2024, by facility
Occupancy rate of penitentiaries Philippines 2024, by facility
Occupancy rate of prison facilities in the Philippines as of July 2024, by facility
Premium Statistic Congestion rate of penitentiary Philippines 2024, by facility
Congestion rate of penitentiary Philippines 2024, by facility
Congestion rate of prison facilities in the Philippines as of July 2024, by facility
Premium Statistic Prison population share Philippines 2022, by gender
Prison population share Philippines 2022, by gender
Share of detainees and sentenced individuals in the Philippines as of June 2022, by gender
Premium Statistic Number of inmates who escaped from jails Philippines 2012-2023
Number of inmates who escaped from jails Philippines 2012-2023
Number of persons with deprived liberty (PDL) who escaped from prison cells in the Philippines from 2012 to 2023
Premium Statistic Number of inmates who died Philippines 2012-2023
Number of inmates who died Philippines 2012-2023
Number of persons with deprived liberty (PDL) who died in prison cells in the Philippines from 2012 to 2023

FAQs

What are the crime issues in the Philippines? ›

In the Philippines, there are a number of crimes directly related to urbanization that pose serious concern for the government and civil society, foremost of these are street crimes, illegal drug trafficking, robbery and theft, violent crimes against women and children, and terrorism.

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What is the biggest crime in the Philippines? ›

Among crimes committed against individuals in the Philippines, rape had the highest reported cases in 2023 alone. While the number of rape cases has shown a significant decline between 2022 and 2023, the volume of such cases remains alarming. In addition, cases of.

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What are the issues in criminology in the Philippines? ›

The current issues in Criminology in the Philippines revolve around gender disparities, program dominance, and operational challenges. Gender analysis in Criminology programs remains understudied, with a significant male dominance noted since 2009, limiting access for females and non-masculine genders [1] [2].

What is the biggest problem in the Philippines? ›

Filipinos biggest problem is poverty, relative to developed nations such as the US, Japan, Korea, Singapore, European nations etc. This poverty results in deprivation, poor nutrition, crime, prostitution, corruption and pollution. Philippines was an oppressed colony of Spain for hundreds of years.

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What is the biggest problem in the criminal justice system in the Philippines? ›

The criminal justice system in the Philippines faces various challenges and issues. There are deep-rooted institutional deficiencies, a backlog of cases, and overpopulated pretrial detention facilities, which have created a crisis within the system [2].

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What is the safest city in the Philippines? ›

Davao is considered one of the safest and most enjoyable places to visit in the Philippines. According to the crime index, which is a range of zero to 100 with 100 being the worst, Davao lands at just below 28.

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What rank is Philippines in crime? ›

Crime rates vary greatly from country to country; for example, in 2022, Venezuela ranked with the highest crime rate with 83.58% followed by Papua New Guinea 81.19%, South Africa 77.01% amongst the top three in the world while the Philippines ranked in the 80th place with 42.33% crime index (Balmori de la Miyar, Hoehn- ...

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What are the types of criminal cases in the Philippines? ›

Crimes are classified into crimes against national security (such as treason, espionage and piracy), crimes against the fundamental laws of the state (rebellion, coup d'état, sedition and public disorders), crimes against public interest (counterfeiting of currency, falsification of public documents), crimes against ...

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What city has the highest crime rate in the Philippines? ›

By City in Philippines

Rank	City	Crime Index
1	Manila	64.4
2	Cebu	51.7
3	Iloilo	40.3
4	Makati	38.6

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How many murders are there in the Philippines? ›

The Philippines recorded about 1,121 cases of homicide in 2023, indicating a slight increase from the previous year. The number of homicide cases in the country was highest in 2017.

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What are the crime prevention strategies in the Philippines? ›

Recommended crime prevention measures to be considered by authorities in the Philippines include eliminating adverse social conditions; reducing opportunities for crimes to be committed; and improving the ability of the criminal justice system to detect, apprehend, judge, and rehabilitate criminals.

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How corrupt is the justice system in the Philippines? ›

The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index scored the Philippines at 34. When ranked by score, the Philippines ranked 115th among the 180 countries in the 2023 Index. For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the worst score was 11 (ranked 180), and the average score was 43.

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What are the five 5 pillars of criminology in the Philippines? ›

The Philippine criminal justice system is composed of five parts or pillars, namely, law enforcement, prosecution, judiciary, penology, and the community. The law enforcement consists of the officers and men of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and other agencies.

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What are the top 10 organized crime in the Philippines? ›

Notable criminally-active gangs in the Philippines include:

Bahala Na Gang.
Budol-Budol Gang.
Dugo-Dugo Gang.
Kuratong Baleleng.
Martilyo Gang.
Salisi Gang.
Zesto Gang.
Satanas (gang)

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What are the criminal offenses in the Philippines? ›

What are the crimes against tourists in the Philippines? ›

There are certain regions and areas where tourists have been advised not to travel to. Besides, terrorist attacks, civil unrest, scams, kidnappings, assaults, pickpockets, mugging, and other risks are a possibility in the country.

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What is the most violated right in the Philippines? ›

Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings; forced disappearance; torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment by and on behalf of the government, and other physical abuses by nonstate actors; harsh and life- ...