The number of crimes motivated by racism, xenophobia and religious hatred in France grew by 32% to 8,500 in 2023, the French Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
"Generally, in 2023, police and gendarmerie have registered 15,000 law violations due to ethnicity, race and religion. Among them, 8,500 are considered as crimes. The increase was estimated at 32%," the ministry said in a report.
The victims were mainly nationals from African countries, especially men aged from 25 to 50, the report read.
Apart from Paris, a significant increase in hate crime was also registered in the departments of Bas-Rhin and Alpes-Maritimes, where the number of offenses was twice as high as the French average, the ministry added.