Germany experienced nearly 14,000 knife attacks last year, averaging 24 per day

The number of knife attacks causing serious injuries in Germany has been multiplying for years: from 10,101 in 2021, the number increased to 13,844 in 2023. This increase has been particularly noticeable at train stations, where the figures have doubled, and in many cases, these incidents have resulted in fatalities.

An example of this worrying trend, which is setting new records in 2024, occurred in January when an individual attacked several passengers on a regional train traveling from Kiel to Hamburg, killing two people before reaching Brokstedt station. In February, during the traditional Rose Monday procession in Fulda, two attackers injured four people. In June, a police officer lost his life while trying to stop a knife attack directed at activist Michael Stürzenberger.

These attacks present a significant challenge for security forces. “Lone wolves,” as they are often called, use this method due to its ease of execution, as it requires no complex planning or connections to organized groups, making prevention difficult.

The Federal Statistical Office of Germany does not include the nationality of the attackers in its data on knife attacks, which prevents a direct correlation between this increase and the growing presence of illegal immigrants. However, some federal states, such as Baden-Württemberg, do collect this information, revealing that the practice is mainly carried out by attackers of Islamic and Sub-Saharan origin. The government of this state has indicated that the increase in knife attacks by foreigners is a “wake-up call.”