Last updated: 27th September 2023
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!
EDITOR'S TOP PICK
In 2022/2023 there were 191,490 home burglaries reported across England and Wales.
HOUSE BURGLARY STATISTICS
HOW MANY HOME BURGLARIES OCCUR PER YEAR?
In 2022/2023 there were 191,490 home burglaries reported in England and Wales. That’s an average of 525 burglaries a day - a house being burgled every 165 seconds!
KEY STATISTICS
In the year ending March 2023 there were 191,490 police recorded home burglaries across England and Wales.
When averaged out that’s:
- 525 home burglaries a day
- a house burgled every 165 seconds
WHICH AREAS OF THE UK HAVE THE MOST HOME BURGLARIES?
The London Metropolitan area had the most home burglaries in 2022/23 with 37,466 burglaries reported to police. This translates to 102 burglaries per day - a house being burgled every 14 minutes!
The Greater Manchester area reported the second highest number of home burglaries with 16,141 reported. That’s 44 burglaries a day - a house being burled every half an hour.
You can see a more detailed breakdown of residential burglaries by area in the table below:
| Police Force Area | Residential Burglaries Year Ending March 2023 | Per Day* | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Metropolitan | 37,466 | 102 | every 14 minutes |
| Greater Manchester | 16,141 | 44 | every 32 minutes |
| West Midlands | 15,797 | 43 | every 33 minutes |
| West Yorkshire | 10,413 | 29 | every 50 minutes |
| South Yorkshire | 8,464 | 23 | every 1 hour and 3 minutes |
| Hampshire | 5,679 | 16 | every 1 hour and 30 minutes |
| Lancashire | 4,871 | 13 | every 1 hour and 51 minutes |
| Merseyside | 4,407 | 12 | every 2 hours |
| Essex | 4,973 | 14 | every 1 hour and 43 minutes |
| Avon and Somerset | 4,184 | 11 | every 2 hours and 11 minutes |
WHICH AREAS OF THE UK HAVE THE LOWEST NUMBER OF HOME BURGLARIES?
The Dyfed-Powys area in Wales, comprising Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and Ceredigion, had the least home burglaries in the year ending March 2023 with only 919 burglaries reported to police. Cumbria, Wiltshire, and North Yorkshire 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 March 2022 | Per Day* |
|---|---|---|
| Dyfed-Powys | 919 | 2.5 |
| Cumbria | 989 | 2.7 |
| Wiltshire | 1,253 | 3.4 |
| Suffolk | 1,235 | 3.3 |
| Norfolk | 1,285 | 3.5 |
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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