"Crime rates in Estonia have been declining for over a decade. Unfortunately, last year marked a turning point, with crime starting to rise again. The number of registered crimes increased by approximately 4 percent. This aligns with a broader trend seen across Europe. Estonia had been one of the few countries where crime was still decreasing. Generally, crime rates in Europe have been on the rise for several years, and now this trend has reached Estonia as well," Pakosta said at the government's weekly press conference on Thursday.

The minister said the biggest growth was in scams, which rose by almost 25 percent last year.

"Unfortunately, we must acknowledge that analysts attribute the rise in crime reaching Estonia primarily to the worsening socio-economic situation. Sadly, there has also been an increase in the number of people who say they resort to theft because they otherwise lack the money to buy food and essential goods," she said.

"The social system also needs to take a closer look at this situation," Pakosta said.

Data from Statistics Estonia shows the price of food and drinks rose by almost 6 percent on year. In October, consumer prices rose by 4.1 percent year-on-year while GDP shrank by 1.9 percent.

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