Number of bank robberies falls to record low

Based on declining bank robbery statistics, it appears that the crime is on its way to extinction in Belgium. Four banks were robbed in the country in 2014, an all-time low.

In 2014, there were only four bank hold-ups in Belgium, confirms the Belgian Financial Sector Federation (Febelfin). In the 1990s there were more than 200 robberies per year. Since the last peak in 2006 (143 robberies), the number has continued to steadily decline: 127 robberies in 2007, 99 in 2009, and 22 in 2013.

"The decrease is due to a combination of factors," says Febelfin spokeswoman Isabelle Marchand. "On the one hand there is a significant shift towards cashless offices and a more central role for digital banking. On the other hand, we are continuously investing in security."