Break-ins at shops, businesses and other premises in Barcelona rose by 14% in the first six months of 2026, while thefts from inside parked vehicles increased by 22%, according to figures presented by the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's regional police, and the Guàrdia Urbana, Barcelona's municipal police.

The rise means business owners and drivers face a growing risk of forced-entry theft despite an overall fall in recorded crime. Barcelona recorded 74,350 offences between January and June, down 11.2% from 83,705 in the same period of 2025, according to the Barcelona City Council announcement following the Local Security Board meeting.

Vehicle thefts and street robberies rise in specific categories

Police figures show that several offence types increased even though the total number of violent robberies and robberies involving intimidation fell by 0.7%.

  • Forced-entry thefts from premises rose by 14%.
  • Forced-entry thefts from vehicles rose by 22%.
  • Violent robberies in public streets rose by 3.2%.
  • Violent robberies in homes rose by 7.5%.

Police recorded 1,341 different suspects arrested for violent robberies during the half-year. Of those, 164 were arrested on more than one occasion.

According to the police data, 82.3% of violent robberies took place in the street, and 73.4% involved the snatching of phones, jewellery or watches. In 65.2% of cases, the victim was not injured.

Mobile phones account for 40% of stolen items

Mobile phones remained the most frequently stolen item, accounting for 40% of the total. Gold chains made up 21.6%, followed by bags or wallets at 20% and watches at 7.8%.

Of the people committing violent robberies, 53.6% acted alone and 85.8% did not use a weapon. Bladed weapons were used in 8.3% of cases and firearms in 0.3%.

Drug-trafficking offences also increase

Drug-trafficking offences rose by 6.4% in Barcelona during the same period. Mossos d'Esquadra and the Guàrdia Urbana arrested 90 people, dismantled 74 sales points and closed 22 flats used for drug dealing, mainly in Ciutat Vella.

Police seized 2,815 cannabis plants, 272kg of hashish, 18kg of ketamine and 7.4kg of cocaine during the first half of 2026.

Primary sources: Ramon. Reported by Germán González, europapress.es, Guillem RS, Natàlia Vila, La Vanguardia, Alfonso L. Congostrina, Por Newsroom Infobae Agregar Infobae en Agrega Infobae a tus medios preferidos en Google, Mayka Navarro, Raquel Navarro, larazon.es, elmundo.es, elperiodico.com.