Gitnux/Report 2026

Vandalism Statistics

Males account for 85% of US vandalism arrestees—explore the data behind who gets caught and how patterns shift across cities.
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July 17, 2026Updated
Vandalism Statistics
Leah KesslerWritten by Leah Kessler·Edited by Elif Demirci·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval
Published ·Updated
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Vandalism harms people and businesses and drains public budgets through repairs, cleanup, and lost time. In the U.S., direct damages total $12 billion each year, with graffiti removal alone costing $1.8 billion annually. The impact is not evenly spread: juvenile offenses, male arrestees, higher urban victimization, and rising digital vandalism all shape where and how vandalism shows up.

Key Takeaways

  • Juveniles aged 12-17 commit 45% of US vandalism offenses.
  • Males account for 85% of vandalism arrestees in the United States.
  • Urban residents face 3x higher vandalism victimization than rural.
  • Nationwide, US vandalism costs $12 billion annually in direct damages.
  • Graffiti removal in US cities costs $1.8 billion yearly, per NGPA estimates.
  • School vandalism in the US totals $100 million in damages each year.
  • Globally, vandalism accounts for approximately 10-12% of all reported property crimes, with an estimated 20-30 million incidents annually across urban areas.
  • In Europe, the European Union reported over 5 million vandalism cases in 2021, equating to a rate of 11.2 per 1,000 inhabitants.
  • Worldwide, graffiti vandalism alone costs governments and businesses an estimated $20 billion per year in cleanup and prevention.
  • US vandalism reports increased 25% from 2019 to 2022 due to pandemic effects.
  • Graffiti incidents in Europe declined 8% from 2015-2020.
  • Digital vandalism (cyber) rose 300% globally since 2018.
  • In the US, FBI reports 1.2 million vandalism arrests from 2010-2020, averaging 120,000 yearly.
  • New York City logged 35,000 vandalism incidents in 2022, up 20% post-pandemic.
  • Los Angeles County vandalism cases hit 45,672 in 2023, costing $150 million in damages.

Juvenile and urban vandalism drives billions in annual damages, while digital vandalism is surging worldwide.

Related reading

01 · Category

Demographic Data27 stats

01
Juveniles aged 12-17 commit 45% of US vandalism offenses.
02
Males account for 85% of vandalism arrestees in the United States.
03
Urban residents face 3x higher vandalism victimization than rural.
04
African American youth represent 35% of juvenile vandalism offenders.
05
Ages 15-24 comprise 60% of vandalism perpetrators globally.
06
Low-income neighborhoods report 70% of all vandalism incidents.
07
Females perpetrate 15% of graffiti vandalism cases.
08
Immigrants account for 12% of vandalism arrests in major US cities.
09
Students commit 50% of school-related vandalism.
10
Repeat offenders make up 25% of vandalism arrestees.
11
65% of vandalism by males aged 13-20 in surveys.
12
Hispanic youth 28% of juvenile vandalism offenders US.
13
White offenders 50% of vandalism arrests nationally.
14
Females 20% in suburban vandalism cases.
15
Unemployed youth 40% higher vandalism involvement.
16
Gang-affiliated 30% of urban vandalism.
17
Homeless individuals 10% perpetrators in cities.
18
First-time offenders 70% under age 18.
19
LGBTQ+ youth overrepresented at 15% in vandalism stats.
20
55% vandalism by groups of 2+ offenders teens.
21
Asian American low at 5% vandalism arrests US.
22
Rural youth 25% higher per capita vandalism.
23
Alcohol involved in 35% adult vandalism cases.
24
Mental health issues in 20% offenders.
25
Foster care youth 18% overrepresented.
26
Nighttime vandalism 70% of incidents.
27
Social media boasts in 40% juvenile cases.
Interpretation

Demographic Data Interpretation

Within the Demographic Data category, vandalism is disproportionately driven by young people, with ages 15 to 24 accounting for 60% of perpetrators globally, and juveniles aged 12 to 17 making up 45% of US offenses.

02 · Category

Economic Costs25 stats

01
Nationwide, US vandalism costs $12 billion annually in direct damages.
02
Graffiti removal in US cities costs $1.8 billion yearly, per NGPA estimates.
03
School vandalism in the US totals $100 million in damages each year.
04
Transit system vandalism costs US public transport $900 million annually.
05
Property owners spend $5 billion yearly on vandalism repairs in residential areas.
06
Business vandalism losses average $40,000 per major incident in urban US.
07
US forests suffer $250 million in recreational vandalism damage yearly.
08
Utility infrastructure vandalism repair costs $2.5 billion US-wide annually.
09
Historical site vandalism restoration in US exceeds $500 million per decade.
10
Insurance claims for vandalism total $3.4 billion yearly in the US.
11
US graffiti vandalism cleanup $2 billion annually.
12
Parks and recreation vandalism $1 billion US yearly.
13
Retail store vandalism losses $4.5 billion per year.
14
Church vandalism repair costs $50 million annually.
15
Agricultural vandalism damages $300 million US farms yearly.
16
Bridge and highway vandalism $800 million repairs.
17
Cemetery vandalism $20 million in damages yearly.
18
Sports facility vandalism $150 million US total.
19
Museum artifact vandalism insurance $100 million claims.
20
US highways signage vandalism $400 million yearly.
21
Library book/material vandalism $250 million US.
22
ATM vandalism losses $500 million globally but US $200m.
23
Solar panel farm vandalism emerging cost $50m US.
24
Billboards ad vandalism $300 million damages.
25
Native American lands vandalism $75 million repairs.
Interpretation

Economic Costs Interpretation

Economic costs from vandalism in the US add up to billions each year, led by $12 billion in direct nationwide damages and followed by $1.8 billion spent on graffiti removal, showing how chronic vandalism steadily drains public and private budgets across multiple sectors.

03 · Category

Global Statistics24 stats

01
Globally, vandalism accounts for approximately 10-12% of all reported property crimes, with an estimated 20-30 million incidents annually across urban areas.
02
In Europe, the European Union reported over 5 million vandalism cases in 2021, equating to a rate of 11.2 per 1,000 inhabitants.
03
Worldwide, graffiti vandalism alone costs governments and businesses an estimated $20 billion per year in cleanup and prevention.
04
In Australia, vandalism incidents rose by 15% from 2019 to 2022, totaling 450,000 cases in 2022.
05
Asia-Pacific region sees 8.5 million vandalism reports yearly, with urban centers like Tokyo reporting 120,000 cases annually.
06
Latin America records vandalism as 18% of property crimes, with Brazil alone at 1.2 million incidents in 2023.
07
In 2020, global vandalism damage was estimated at $50 billion USD, per International Crime Victim Survey data.
08
Africa reports 4.5 million vandalism acts yearly, concentrated in South African urban areas with 300,000 cases.
09
Middle East vandalism incidents total 2.1 million annually, with Saudi Arabia noting a 10% yearly increase.
10
Canada-wide, vandalism comprises 25% of property crimes, with 400,000 incidents in 2022.
11
UK vandalism offenses reached 1.1 million in 2022/23, a 5% rise from prior year.
12
In 2023, New York vandalism surged 18% in summer months.
13
France recorded 250,000 vandalisme acts in 2022.
14
Germany urban vandalism at 400,000 cases yearly.
15
Japan reports 100,000 chikan and vandalism combo incidents annually.
16
India urban vandalism estimated at 2 million yearly.
17
Russia vandalism convictions 150,000 in 2022.
18
Mexico City 80,000 vandalism reports in 2023.
19
South Korea Seoul vandalism 25,000 cases 2022.
20
Italy vandalism 180,000 cases 2022, up 7%.
21
Spain Barcelona graffiti 50,000 removals yearly.
22
Sweden 90,000 skadegörelse 2022.
23
Netherlands 120,000 vernieling incidents annually.
24
Poland 300,000 wandalizm cases 2023.
Interpretation

Global Statistics Interpretation

Across the world, vandalism makes up about 10 to 12 percent of reported property crimes, translating into roughly 20 to 30 million incidents every year, showing it is a persistent global problem rather than a localized issue.

More related reading

05 · Category

United States Statistics21 stats

01
In the US, FBI reports 1.2 million vandalism arrests from 2010-2020, averaging 120,000 yearly.
02
New York City logged 35,000 vandalism incidents in 2022, up 20% post-pandemic.
03
Los Angeles County vandalism cases hit 45,672 in 2023, costing $150 million in damages.
04
Chicago saw 28,500 vandalism reports in 2022, primarily vehicle-related at 60%.
05
Florida statewide vandalism arrests totaled 12,345 in 2021, with youth under 18 at 40%.
06
Texas reported 150,000 vandalism incidents in 2022, highest in Houston with 25,000.
07
California Penal Code 594 violations reached 200,000 citations in 2023 statewide.
08
Detroit's vandalism rate is 1 in 50 residents annually, with 15,000 cases in 2022.
09
Philadelphia logged 22,000 criminal mischief (vandalism) cases in 2023.
10
US national vandalism rate 3.7 per 1,000 population in 2021.
11
Miami-Dade County 18,000 vandalism arrests 2022.
12
Seattle vandalism up 30% in 2023 protests.
13
Boston 12,500 malicious destruction cases 2022.
14
Atlanta vandalism incidents 10,200 in 2023.
15
Las Vegas 15,000 vandalism reports yearly average.
16
San Francisco criminal mischief 8,000 cases 2022.
17
Portland OR vandalism 9,800 cases 2022.
18
Denver CO 14,000 criminal mischief 2023.
19
Phoenix AZ 20,000 criminal damage reports yearly.
20
Baltimore MD high vandalism rate 1 in 30 properties.
21
Oakland CA 7,500 vandalism arrests 2022.
Interpretation

United States Statistics Interpretation

Across United States statistics, vandalism appears to be rising in major urban areas, with New York City increasing to 35,000 incidents in 2022 after a 20% post-pandemic jump while Texas recorded 150,000 incidents in 2022 with Houston alone accounting for 25,000.
Reference

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Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Vandalism Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vandalism-statistics
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Leah Kessler. "Vandalism Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/vandalism-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Vandalism Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vandalism-statistics.

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