Council of Europe report shows near-global adoption of cybercrime laws
An updated overview by the Council of Europe’s Cybercrime Programme Office shows that nearly all UN Member States have reformed or are reforming cybercrime laws, with significant advances in criminal provisions and international cooperation.
The Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC) has released an updated overview of global trends in cybercrime legislation covering the period from 2013 to the end of 2025. The report provides a high-level snapshot of how countries are updating laws on cybercrime and electronic evidence, serving as a reference point for further legal reforms and capacity-building efforts.
According to the overview, by December 2025 around 97 per cent of UN Member States had either adopted reforms addressing cybercrime and electronic evidence or were in the process of doing so. While some countries began developing dedicated cybercrime laws in the 1990s, most regions have accelerated reforms over the past eleven years, particularly since 2018.
The report finds that 134 states, representing 69 percent of UN member states, had substantive criminal law provisions largely aligned with the standards set out in the Convention on Cybercrime, also known as the Budapest Convention. An additional quarter of states had adopted at least some specific criminal law measures targeting offences committed against or through computer systems.
Progress on procedural powers, such as authorities to secure and preserve electronic evidence for criminal proceedings, has been slower. By the end of 2025, 54 percent of states had specific procedural powers broadly in place. Many countries still rely on general search and seizure provisions rather than tailored rules for digital evidence.
International cooperation mechanisms are also evolving. Since the opening for signature in May 2022 of the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, which focuses on enhanced cooperation and disclosure of electronic evidence, between 30 and 40 countries have been reforming domestic laws in line with its provisions. By December 2025, 52 states had signed the Protocol and two had ratified it.
Half of UN member states were either parties, signatories, or invited to accede to the Convention on Cybercrime by the end of 2025. In total, 97 states were members or observers in the Cybercrime Convention Committee. Beyond formal membership, the Convention influences legislation more broadly, with approximately 85 percent of states drawing on its structure or concepts when drafting national laws.
The report also notes that 186 states have participated in Council of Europe cybercrime activities, reflecting the global scope of engagement on legal and institutional responses to digital crime.
