Last updated: 6th November 2024
The definition of residential burglary is any act of entering an inhabited building without permission. This includes unlawful entry, forcible entry, and attempted forcible entry.
How many home burglaries take place across the UK? We've compiled key burglary statistics using data published by the Office for National Statistics. A residential burglary will have taken place somewhere in England and Wales by the time you finish reading!
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In 2023/2024 there were 181,617 home burglaries reported across England and Wales.
HOUSE BURGLARY STATISTICS
HOW MANY HOME BURGLARIES OCCUR PER YEAR?
In 2023/2024 there were 181,617 home burglaries reported in England and Wales. That’s an average of 498 burglaries a day - a house being burgled every 173 seconds!
KEY STATISTICS
In the year ending June 2024 there were 181,617 police recorded home burglaries across England and Wales.
When averaged out that’s:
- 498 home burglaries a day
- a house burgled every 173 seconds
WHICH AREAS OF THE UK HAVE THE MOST HOME BURGLARIES?
The London Metropolitan area had the most home burglaries in 2023/24 with 37,416 burglaries reported to police. This translates to 103 burglaries per day - a house being burgled every 14 minutes!
The West Midlands area reported the second highest number of home burglaries with 13,801 reported. That’s 38 burglaries a day - a house being burled every thirty eight minutes.
You can see a more detailed breakdown of residential burglaries by area in the table below:
| Police Force Area | Residential Burglaries Year Ending June 2024 | Per Day* | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Metropolitan | 37,416 | 103 | every 14 minutes |
| West Midlands | 13,801 | 38 | every 38 minutes |
| Greater Manchester | 12,421 | 34 | every 42 minutes |
| West Yorkshire | 10,381 | 28 | every 51 minutes |
| South Yorkshire | 8,041 | 22 | every 1 hour and 5 minutes |
| Essex | 5,135 | 14 | every 1 hour and 42 minutes |
| Thames Valley | 5,022 | 14 | every 1 hour and 45 minutes |
| Northumbria | 4,973 | 14 | every 1 hour and 46 minutes |
| Lancashire | 4,878 | 13 | every 1 hour and 48 minutes |
| Hampshire | 4,642 | 13 | every 1 hour and 53 minutes |
WHICH AREAS OF THE UK HAVE THE LOWEST NUMBER OF HOME BURGLARIES?
Cumbria had the least home burglaries in the year ending June 2024 with only 764 burglaries reported to police. Dyfed-Powys and Wiltshire also had remarkably low burglary statistics.
The following table lists statistics for other low-burglary areas in the UK:
| Police Force Area | Residential Burglaries Year Ending June 2024 | Per Day* |
|---|---|---|
| Cumbria | 764 | 2.1 |
| Dyfed-Powys | 868 | 2.4 |
| Wiltshire | 985 | 2.7 |
| Suffolk | 1,118 | 3.1 |
| North Wales | 1,211 | 3.3 |
MORE STATISTICS...
The ONS have produced a summary of the long-term trends in burglary which shows that:
- In 70% of burglaries, the offender enters the dwelling through the door. Only 30% of burglaries occur with the burglar gaining entry through a window.
- In over 50% of domestic burglary incidents, someone was at home while the offender gained entry into the building.
- The difference in burglary frequency on weekdays vs. weekends is comparatively insignificant: 16% per weekday and 12% per weekend day.
- About 40% of residential burglaries in the UK. occur in the day, specifically from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- 60% of all burglaries take place in the evening or during the night, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
In nearly half of burglary incidents over the years, the perpetrator was someone the victim knew, at least by sight.
CONCLUSION
While no area in the UK is entirely safe from burglary, we find major differences in home burglary statistics between different regions. Citizens can protect themselves with the knowledge of where, when, and to whom house break-ins are most likely to occur.
Sources
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