Hate incidents recorded by the Ertzaintza in the Basque Country have decreased by 18% in 2025

The Ertzaintza recorded 193 hate incidents last year, compared to 236 in 2024, although this 18% drop must be interpreted with caution , since manysuch incidents are not reported, according to the 2025 report on hate incidents in the Basque Country, which indicates that incidents of racism and xenophobia, which account for 56% of the total, remain the most numerous.

The data was provided on Wednesday by the Security Adviser of the Basque Government, Bingen Zupiria, during his appearance before the Committee on Institutions, Public Governance and Security of the Basque Parliament to present the 2025 Hate Incidents Report of the Basque Country, prepared with the collaboration of the Chair of Human Rights and Public Authorities of the UPV/EHU led by Jon Mirena Landa.

According to the report submitted to the Basque Parliament, among the factors causing little reporting are the irregular administrative situation of many victims, the lack of financial resources or the lack of knowledge of the procedure; the normalization of the culture of violence; the lack of confidence in the judicial and police system; or the fear of reprisals by aggressors or by the authorities themselves.

Racism and xenophobia, the main motivation

As in previous years, racist or xenophobic crimes constitute the largest number of hate crimes recorded, with 108 cases in the CSC in 2025, accounting for 56 per cent of the total, down 6 per cent from the previous year.

Secondly, there are events motivated by sexual orientation or identity , 40 cases, 21% of the total, followed by those related to ideology or political orientation, 18 cases (9%). The report also includes 9 incidents for disability, 7 for religious beliefs or practices, 4 for physical or appearance, 2 for gender, 2 for sickness, 1 for anti-Semitism and 1 for aporophobia.

Injuries and threats, most common

With regard to the criminal typology of hate crimes recorded in the Basque Country last year, according to the report, lesios and threats have accounted for more than half of the recorded incidents. Injuries are the most common incidents, with 63 cases (33%) and 5% less than in 2024. Threats are followed by 40 cases (21%); coercion with 19; hate speech with 16; harassment with 15; and degrading treatment with 13.

In 2025, no homicides have been recorded as a result of hate acts, and an incident related to sexual assault has been recorded, so according to Department of Safety and Security officials, the most serious criminal incidents have remained relatively restricted .

Territories and municipalities

By historical territory, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa recorded 85 incidents in 2025, 44 per cent of the total in both cases, and Álava 23 incidents (12 per cent), a distribution that breaks the pattern of recent years, when Bizkaia was the territory with the highest number of incidents.

By municipality, the capitals and those with the largest population are again highlighted, with 35 incidents recorded by Donostia-San Sebastián (18%), 29 by Bilbao (15%), 19 by Irun (10%) and 18 by Vitoria-Gasteiz (9%), and seven by Barakaldo and Portugalete, as well as four by Hernani and Getxo.

With regard to the place where the crime wascommitted, the largest number of hate incidents occurred on public roads, accounting for 45 per cent of all crimes, followed by schools (11 per cent), homes (9 per cent) and hotels (9 per cent); cyberspace or telephone incidents accounted for 4 per cent.

284 investigated and 9 arrested

On the other hand, according to the report, 284 persons have been investigated for hate crimes in the CSC in 2025. The majority have been men (78%) and the average age of the persons investigated has been 32. 76 of the persons investigated have been minors.

Similarly, nine arrests were made in 2025, less than half as many as in 2024, when 25 were counted.

With regard to victims, the report recorded 225 victimizations, which was 17 per cent less than the previous year, and 55 per cent of victims were of foreign origin; in terms of age, persons aged between 18 and 29 stood out, with 57 per cent of victims being men.