Despite the steady hum of global statistics showing a 4.3% decrease in the US and a 7% drop in Australia, the chilling reality of home invasion remains a pervasive threat, with over half a million American families experiencing the violation of a residential burglary last year alone.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the United States recorded 898,782 burglaries, a decrease of 4.3% from 2021
- Residential burglaries accounted for 62.4% of all burglaries in the US in 2022, totaling approximately 560,000 incidents
- The burglary rate in the US was 3.3 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2022
- According to NCVS, 68% of US residential burglaries occur during the day (2021)
- Households with incomes under $25,000 had a US burglary victimization rate of 14.2 per 1,000 in 2021
- High-income households ($75,000+) faced 6.5 per 1,000 burglary rate in US 2021 NCVS
- Average US burglar is 27 years old, 83% male (2020 BJS study)
- 45% of arrested US burglars are under 25 years old (UCR 2022)
- Repeat burglary offenders account for 40% of US burglary arrests (BJS 2019)
- 72% of US burglaries result in average loss of $2,601 (NCVS 2021)
- Total US burglary economic cost estimated at $3.4 billion in stolen property 2021
- Insurance payouts for US residential burglaries averaged $4,800 per claim in 2022
- US burglary rates declined 65% from 1993 peak of 7.0 per 1,000 to 2022's 3.3
- UK domestic burglaries down 77% since 1995 peak (2023 ONS)
- Australia burglary offenses decreased 45% from 2012 to 2022
Global burglary rates declined in 2022, but they remain a widespread and costly crime.
Clearance, Trends, and Prevention
- US burglary rates declined 65% from 1993 peak of 7.0 per 1,000 to 2022's 3.3
- UK domestic burglaries down 77% since 1995 peak (2023 ONS)
- Australia burglary offenses decreased 45% from 2012 to 2022
- Canada burglary down 50% since 2003 (StatsCan 2022)
- Germany residential burglaries up 11% post-COVID but down 30% from 2016 peak (2022)
- France burglaries stable at 380,000 annually since 2015 (2022)
- Japan burglary offenses down 90% since 2002 peak (2022 NPA)
- Sweden burglaries decreased 20% from 2019 to 2022
- New Zealand burglaries down 60% since 2009 (2022 Police)
- US urban burglary down 8% 2021-2022, suburban up 2% (UCR)
- National clearance rate for US burglaries 12.1% in 2022, lowest among Part I crimes
- UK burglary detection rate 8.5% in 2022/23 (police recorded)
- Australia burglary clearance 15% (2022 state average)
- Canada clearance rate for break and enter 20% (2022)
- Germany burglary solved rate 40% (2022 BKA)
- France residential burglary clearance 12% (2022)
- Japan burglary clearance rate 75% (2022)
- UK homes with alarms 83% less likely burgled (2023)
- US homes with dogs 3x less burglary risk (UNC Charlotte 2022)
- Visible CCTV reduces burglary by 50% (UK 2023 study)
- Neighborhood watch programs lower US burglary 26% (2021 meta-analysis)
- Smart locks reduce entry success by 70% (2022 ADT study)
- Lighting deters 60% of burglars per UK victim survey (2023)
- Post-burglary target hardening reduces re-victimization 55% (BJS 2020)
- DNA door handle wipes solve 30% more cases (UK forensic 2022)
- Predictive policing apps reduce burglaries 7-20% (LA 2022)
- Ring doorbell cameras increase clearance 10% (2022 study)
- Community apps like Nextdoor correlate with 15% drop in burglaries (2023)
- Burglary hot-spot policing boosts clearance 25% (Chicago 2022)
Clearance, Trends, and Prevention Interpretation
While global burglary rates have largely plummeted due to a combination of better locks, cameras, and community vigilance, the stubbornly abysmal clearance rates in many nations prove that preventing a crime is still far easier than catching the crook who commits it.
Financial and Economic Impact
- 72% of US burglaries result in average loss of $2,601 (NCVS 2021)
- Total US burglary economic cost estimated at $3.4 billion in stolen property 2021
- Insurance payouts for US residential burglaries averaged $4,800 per claim in 2022
- UK burglary average loss £2,500 per incident (2023 ABI)
- Australian burglary average property loss AUD 5,200 (2022 Insurance Council)
- Canada burglary average theft value CAD 3,000 (2022 IBC)
- Germany residential burglary average loss €2,800 (2022 GDV)
- France home burglary average claim €3,200 (2022 France Assureurs)
- Italy burglary average loss €4,500 (2022 ANIA)
- Japan burglary average theft ¥500,000 (2022)
- Sweden burglary economic cost SEK 2 billion annually (2022)
- New Zealand average burglary loss NZD 4,000 (2022 IAG)
- South Africa house burglary average loss R25,000 (2022)
- NYC burglary average loss $2,200 (2022 NYPD)
- LA average burglary theft $1,800 (2022 LAPD)
- Chicago burglary average property value $2,100 stolen (2022)
- London burglary average £1,600 loss (2022/23)
- Texas burglary average loss $2,400 (2022 DPS)
- Florida residential burglary average $3,100 stolen (2022 FDLE)
- California burglary total economic impact $1.2 billion (2022)
- US burglaries cause $28 billion in total societal costs including victim trauma (2021)
- 31% of US burglary victims not insured, out-of-pocket $2,000 average (2022)
- UK insurance burglary claims rose 15% costing £1.1 billion (2023)
- Australia burglary claims AUD 300 million yearly (2022)
- Canada property crime including burglary costs CAD 4.5 billion (2022)
- Germany burglary insurance payouts €1.2 billion (2022)
- Electronics 34%, cash 24%, jewelry 20% most stolen in US burglaries (NCVS 2021)
- Business interruption from home office burglaries adds 20% to US losses (2022)
- In Sweden, burglary victim replacement costs average SEK 35,000 (2022)
- Italy burglary claims up 10% to €800 million (2022)
Financial and Economic Impact Interpretation
While burglars around the world seem to be operating on a frustratingly consistent budget—from $1,800 in LA to €4,500 in Italy—the real takeaway is that their relative success comes at an absolutely staggering collective price, proving that crime, while often small-time for the thief, is a massively expensive global industry for the rest of us.
Incidence and Frequency
- In 2022, the United States recorded 898,782 burglaries, a decrease of 4.3% from 2021
- Residential burglaries accounted for 62.4% of all burglaries in the US in 2022, totaling approximately 560,000 incidents
- The burglary rate in the US was 3.3 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2022
- In England and Wales, police recorded 237,000 domestic burglaries for the year ending March 2023
- Burglary offenses in Australia fell by 7% to 55,262 incidents in 2022
- Canada's 2022 burglary count was 77,057, down 10% from the previous year
- Germany reported 164,188 residential burglaries in 2022, a 10.7% increase from 2021
- France had 384,000 home burglaries in 2022 according to insurance claims
- In 2021, Japan recorded 12,650 burglaries, the lowest since records began
- New Zealand saw 21,872 burglaries in 2022, down 12% from 2021
- Sweden reported 18,200 residential burglaries in 2022
- Italy had 142,000 burglaries in 2022, per ISTAT data
- In 2020, the US National Crime Victimization Survey estimated 1.1 million completed residential burglaries
- UK burglary victimisation rate was 1.5% of households in 2022/23
- South Africa recorded over 200,000 house robberies and burglaries in 2022/23
- In 2022, burglary rate in Los Angeles was 3.8 per 1,000 residents
- Chicago had 11,258 burglaries in 2022
- New York City reported 14,258 burglaries in 2022, down 25% from 2021
- London had 58,000 burglaries in 2022/23
- Mumbai, India, saw 4,500 house burglaries in 2022
- According to NCVS 2021, US households faced a burglary victimization rate of 8.9 per 1,000
- In 2019, Europe-wide residential burglary rate was 3.2 per 1,000 households per Eurostat
- Brazil reported 1.2 million residential thefts including burglaries in 2022
- In 2022, burglary offenses in Texas were 89,234
- Florida recorded 47,567 burglaries in 2022
- California had 142,979 burglaries in 2022
- In 2022, the burglary clearance rate in the US was 12.1%
- Urban areas in the US had a burglary rate of 4.2 per 1,000 in 2022
- Rural US burglary rate was 1.8 per 1,000 in 2022
- Suburban burglary rate in US 2022 was 2.9 per 1,000
Incidence and Frequency Interpretation
While the global trend of burglaries is thankfully leaning toward a welcome decline, these statistics remind us that securing one's castle remains a universally prudent hobby, as the number of uninvited guests worldwide would still fill a small nation.
Offender Profiles
- Average US burglar is 27 years old, 83% male (2020 BJS study)
- 45% of arrested US burglars are under 25 years old (UCR 2022)
- Repeat burglary offenders account for 40% of US burglary arrests (BJS 2019)
- 68% of US burglary arrestees are white, 29% Black (UCR 2022)
- Only 13% of US burglars are female (UCR 2022 arrests)
- 25% of US burglars have prior convictions for similar crimes (BJS 2020)
- Average UK burglar age at arrest is 29, 90% male (2022 MoJ)
- In Australia, 70% of burglary offenders under 30 (2022 ABS)
- Canadian burglary offenders 55% Indigenous (2022 StatsCan)
- German burglars average 32 years, 85% male (2022 BKA)
- French burglary suspects 60% under 25 (2022 Ministry Interior)
- In Japan, 80% of burglary arrests are males aged 20-39 (2022 NPA)
- Swedish burglars 75% have substance abuse issues (2022 Brå)
- Italian burglary offenders 50% immigrants (2022 Ministry Justice)
- New Zealand burglary arrests 40% Maori (2022 NZ Police)
- South African burglars 90% male, average age 28 (2022 SAPS)
- In NYC, 35% of burglary arrestees repeat offenders (2022 NYPD)
- LA burglary suspects 60% Hispanic, 25% Black (2022 LAPD)
- Chicago burglars 45% Black males under 30 (2022 CPD)
- London burglars 40% under 18 (2022/23 Met Police)
- Texas burglary arrestees 55% white, 30% Hispanic (2022 DPS)
- Florida burglary offenders 20% with gang affiliations (2022 FDLE)
- 50% of US burglars use drugs at time of offense (BJS 2019)
- Organized burglary rings account for 15% of US incidents (FBI 2022)
- UK burglars travel average 2.3 miles from home (2021 study)
- Australian burglars 30% use vehicles for escape (2022 AIC)
- In Canada, 65% burglary offenders have mental health issues (2022)
Offender Profiles Interpretation
The global burglar profile is a disturbingly consistent portrait of young, troubled men—statistically driven by addiction, opportunity, and the grim mathematics of recidivism—who, despite varied backgrounds, share a profound talent for making everyone else's property their problem.
Victim Profiles
- According to NCVS, 68% of US residential burglaries occur during the day (2021)
- Households with incomes under $25,000 had a US burglary victimization rate of 14.2 per 1,000 in 2021
- High-income households ($75,000+) faced 6.5 per 1,000 burglary rate in US 2021 NCVS
- Renter-occupied US households had 12.3 per 1,000 burglary victimization rate in 2021
- Owner-occupied households burglary rate was 7.1 per 1,000 in US 2021
- Urban US households burglary victimization 11.8 per 1,000 in 2021 NCVS
- Suburban households 8.4 per 1,000, rural 6.2 per 1,000 for burglary in US 2021
- Single-family homes are 85% more likely to be burgled than apartments in US per 2020 study
- Homes without security systems 300% more likely to be burgled (US 2022 UNC Charlotte study)
- 41% of US burglaries target homes with no one present daytime (NCVS 2021)
- Elderly (65+) US households burglary rate 5.9 per 1,000 in 2021
- Households with children under 12 had higher burglary rates at 10.2 per 1,000 US 2021
- In UK CSEW 2022/23, households in most deprived areas had 2.5% burglary risk
- UK private rented households burglary prevalence 2.8% vs 1.1% owner-occupied (2022/23)
- In Australia, 25-34 year olds most likely burglary victims at 3.2% rate (2022)
- Australian homes with residents aged 65+ had 1.8% burglary victimization (2022)
- In Canada, urban households burglary rate 1.7% vs rural 1.1% (GSS 2019)
- French households in urban areas 2x more likely burgled than rural (2022 INSEE)
- In Germany, single-person households burglary risk 1.5x higher (2022 BKA)
- Italian villas and detached homes 70% of burglary targets (2022 ISTAT)
- In Sweden, immigrant households 2x burglary victimization rate (2022 Brå)
- New Zealand Maori households burglary rate 4.1% vs 1.9% others (2022)
- South African low-income suburbs 5x higher house burglary rates (2022 SAPS)
- In NYC, 40% of burglaries target apartments in low-income areas (2022 NYPD)
- LA homes without alarms in high-crime neighborhoods 4x risk (2022 LAPD)
- Chicago South Side burglary victimization 3x city average (2022 CPD)
- London deprived boroughs like Croydon 3.2% household burglary rate (2022/23)
- In Texas, rural homes less targeted but higher per capita loss (2022 DPS)
- Florida elderly communities burglary rate 2.1 per 1,000 (2022 FDLE)
- 60% of US burglary victims are white, 20% Black, 15% Hispanic (NCVS 2021)
- 34% of US residential burglaries involve forcible entry (UCR 2022)
Victim Profiles Interpretation
The data paints a stark, global picture: burglary is a crime of opportunity that disproportionately preys on the vulnerable, with the odds stacked highest against lower-income households, renters, and those living without the basic deterrence of a security system.
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