The number of muggings and drugs arrests in the Netherlands fell across most parts of the country in 2017, according to figures from the national police force which were published on Thursday.

The survey, which covers local authority areas with more than 50,000 inhabitants, showed clear regional differences.

For example, most synthetic drugs such as ecstasy and speed are produced in the south of the country. Last year, police broke up 127 drugs labs in Brabant and 57 in Limburg, compared with 136 in the rest of the country.

Most arrests for dealing and possession were made in Amsterdam – over the past three years, police have arrested over 2,000 people for possession and more than 1,000 for dealing, the figures show.

However, the overall crime rate in the Dutch capital fell by 5%, with fewer cases of pick-pocketing, mugging and violence. There was an increasing break-ins and armed robberies.