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
1US burglary rates declined 65% from 1993 peak of 7.0 per 1,000 to 2022's 3.3
Verified2UK domestic burglaries down 77% since 1995 peak (2023 ONS)
Verified3Australia burglary offenses decreased 45% from 2012 to 2022
Verified4Canada burglary down 50% since 2003 (StatsCan 2022)
Directional5Germany residential burglaries up 11% post-COVID but down 30% from 2016 peak (2022)
Single source6France burglaries stable at 380,000 annually since 2015 (2022)
Verified7Japan burglary offenses down 90% since 2002 peak (2022 NPA)
Verified8Sweden burglaries decreased 20% from 2019 to 2022
Verified9New Zealand burglaries down 60% since 2009 (2022 Police)
Directional10US urban burglary down 8% 2021-2022, suburban up 2% (UCR)
Single source11National clearance rate for US burglaries 12.1% in 2022, lowest among Part I crimes
Verified12UK burglary detection rate 8.5% in 2022/23 (police recorded)
Verified13Australia burglary clearance 15% (2022 state average)
Verified14Canada clearance rate for break and enter 20% (2022)
Directional15Germany burglary solved rate 40% (2022 BKA)
Single source16France residential burglary clearance 12% (2022)
Verified17Japan burglary clearance rate 75% (2022)
Verified18UK homes with alarms 83% less likely burgled (2023)
Verified19US homes with dogs 3x less burglary risk (UNC Charlotte 2022)
Directional20Visible CCTV reduces burglary by 50% (UK 2023 study)
Single source21Neighborhood watch programs lower US burglary 26% (2021 meta-analysis)
Verified22Smart locks reduce entry success by 70% (2022 ADT study)
Verified23Lighting deters 60% of burglars per UK victim survey (2023)
Verified24Post-burglary target hardening reduces re-victimization 55% (BJS 2020)
Directional25DNA door handle wipes solve 30% more cases (UK forensic 2022)
Single source26Predictive policing apps reduce burglaries 7-20% (LA 2022)
Verified27Ring doorbell cameras increase clearance 10% (2022 study)
Verified28Community apps like Nextdoor correlate with 15% drop in burglaries (2023)
Verified29Burglary hot-spot policing boosts clearance 25% (Chicago 2022)
DirectionalClearance, 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
172% of US burglaries result in average loss of $2,601 (NCVS 2021)
Verified2Total US burglary economic cost estimated at $3.4 billion in stolen property 2021
Verified3Insurance payouts for US residential burglaries averaged $4,800 per claim in 2022
Verified4UK burglary average loss £2,500 per incident (2023 ABI)
Directional5Australian burglary average property loss AUD 5,200 (2022 Insurance Council)
Single source6Canada burglary average theft value CAD 3,000 (2022 IBC)
Verified7Germany residential burglary average loss €2,800 (2022 GDV)
Verified8France home burglary average claim €3,200 (2022 France Assureurs)
Verified9Italy burglary average loss €4,500 (2022 ANIA)
Directional10Japan burglary average theft ¥500,000 (2022)
Single source11Sweden burglary economic cost SEK 2 billion annually (2022)
Verified12New Zealand average burglary loss NZD 4,000 (2022 IAG)
Verified13South Africa house burglary average loss R25,000 (2022)
Verified14NYC burglary average loss $2,200 (2022 NYPD)
Directional15LA average burglary theft $1,800 (2022 LAPD)
Single source16Chicago burglary average property value $2,100 stolen (2022)
Verified17London burglary average £1,600 loss (2022/23)
Verified18Texas burglary average loss $2,400 (2022 DPS)
Verified19Florida residential burglary average $3,100 stolen (2022 FDLE)
Directional20California burglary total economic impact $1.2 billion (2022)
Single source21US burglaries cause $28 billion in total societal costs including victim trauma (2021)
Verified2231% of US burglary victims not insured, out-of-pocket $2,000 average (2022)
Verified23UK insurance burglary claims rose 15% costing £1.1 billion (2023)
Verified24Australia burglary claims AUD 300 million yearly (2022)
Directional25Canada property crime including burglary costs CAD 4.5 billion (2022)
Single source26Germany burglary insurance payouts €1.2 billion (2022)
Verified27Electronics 34%, cash 24%, jewelry 20% most stolen in US burglaries (NCVS 2021)
Verified28Business interruption from home office burglaries adds 20% to US losses (2022)
Verified29In Sweden, burglary victim replacement costs average SEK 35,000 (2022)
Directional30Italy burglary claims up 10% to €800 million (2022)
Single sourceFinancial 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
1In 2022, the United States recorded 898,782 burglaries, a decrease of 4.3% from 2021
Verified2Residential burglaries accounted for 62.4% of all burglaries in the US in 2022, totaling approximately 560,000 incidents
Verified3The burglary rate in the US was 3.3 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2022
Verified4In England and Wales, police recorded 237,000 domestic burglaries for the year ending March 2023
Directional5Burglary offenses in Australia fell by 7% to 55,262 incidents in 2022
Single source6Canada's 2022 burglary count was 77,057, down 10% from the previous year
Verified7Germany reported 164,188 residential burglaries in 2022, a 10.7% increase from 2021
Verified8France had 384,000 home burglaries in 2022 according to insurance claims
Verified9In 2021, Japan recorded 12,650 burglaries, the lowest since records began
Directional10New Zealand saw 21,872 burglaries in 2022, down 12% from 2021
Single source11Sweden reported 18,200 residential burglaries in 2022
Verified12Italy had 142,000 burglaries in 2022, per ISTAT data
Verified13In 2020, the US National Crime Victimization Survey estimated 1.1 million completed residential burglaries
Verified14UK burglary victimisation rate was 1.5% of households in 2022/23
Directional15South Africa recorded over 200,000 house robberies and burglaries in 2022/23
Single source16In 2022, burglary rate in Los Angeles was 3.8 per 1,000 residents
Verified17Chicago had 11,258 burglaries in 2022
Verified18New York City reported 14,258 burglaries in 2022, down 25% from 2021
Verified19London had 58,000 burglaries in 2022/23
Directional20Mumbai, India, saw 4,500 house burglaries in 2022
Single source21According to NCVS 2021, US households faced a burglary victimization rate of 8.9 per 1,000
Verified22In 2019, Europe-wide residential burglary rate was 3.2 per 1,000 households per Eurostat
Verified23Brazil reported 1.2 million residential thefts including burglaries in 2022
Verified24In 2022, burglary offenses in Texas were 89,234
Directional25Florida recorded 47,567 burglaries in 2022
Single source26California had 142,979 burglaries in 2022
Verified27In 2022, the burglary clearance rate in the US was 12.1%
Verified28Urban areas in the US had a burglary rate of 4.2 per 1,000 in 2022
Verified29Rural US burglary rate was 1.8 per 1,000 in 2022
Directional30Suburban burglary rate in US 2022 was 2.9 per 1,000
Single sourceIncidence 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
1Average US burglar is 27 years old, 83% male (2020 BJS study)
Verified245% of arrested US burglars are under 25 years old (UCR 2022)
Verified3Repeat burglary offenders account for 40% of US burglary arrests (BJS 2019)
Verified468% of US burglary arrestees are white, 29% Black (UCR 2022)
Directional5Only 13% of US burglars are female (UCR 2022 arrests)
Single source625% of US burglars have prior convictions for similar crimes (BJS 2020)
Verified7Average UK burglar age at arrest is 29, 90% male (2022 MoJ)
Verified8In Australia, 70% of burglary offenders under 30 (2022 ABS)
Verified9Canadian burglary offenders 55% Indigenous (2022 StatsCan)
Directional10German burglars average 32 years, 85% male (2022 BKA)
Single source11French burglary suspects 60% under 25 (2022 Ministry Interior)
Verified12In Japan, 80% of burglary arrests are males aged 20-39 (2022 NPA)
Verified13Swedish burglars 75% have substance abuse issues (2022 Brå)
Verified14Italian burglary offenders 50% immigrants (2022 Ministry Justice)
Directional15New Zealand burglary arrests 40% Maori (2022 NZ Police)
Single source16South African burglars 90% male, average age 28 (2022 SAPS)
Verified17In NYC, 35% of burglary arrestees repeat offenders (2022 NYPD)
Verified18LA burglary suspects 60% Hispanic, 25% Black (2022 LAPD)
Verified19Chicago burglars 45% Black males under 30 (2022 CPD)
Directional20London burglars 40% under 18 (2022/23 Met Police)
Single source21Texas burglary arrestees 55% white, 30% Hispanic (2022 DPS)
Verified22Florida burglary offenders 20% with gang affiliations (2022 FDLE)
Verified2350% of US burglars use drugs at time of offense (BJS 2019)
Verified24Organized burglary rings account for 15% of US incidents (FBI 2022)
Directional25UK burglars travel average 2.3 miles from home (2021 study)
Single source26Australian burglars 30% use vehicles for escape (2022 AIC)
Verified27In Canada, 65% burglary offenders have mental health issues (2022)
VerifiedOffender 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
1According to NCVS, 68% of US residential burglaries occur during the day (2021)
Verified2Households with incomes under $25,000 had a US burglary victimization rate of 14.2 per 1,000 in 2021
Verified3High-income households ($75,000+) faced 6.5 per 1,000 burglary rate in US 2021 NCVS
Verified4Renter-occupied US households had 12.3 per 1,000 burglary victimization rate in 2021
Directional5Owner-occupied households burglary rate was 7.1 per 1,000 in US 2021
Single source6Urban US households burglary victimization 11.8 per 1,000 in 2021 NCVS
Verified7Suburban households 8.4 per 1,000, rural 6.2 per 1,000 for burglary in US 2021
Verified8Single-family homes are 85% more likely to be burgled than apartments in US per 2020 study
Verified9Homes without security systems 300% more likely to be burgled (US 2022 UNC Charlotte study)
Directional1041% of US burglaries target homes with no one present daytime (NCVS 2021)
Single source11Elderly (65+) US households burglary rate 5.9 per 1,000 in 2021
Verified12Households with children under 12 had higher burglary rates at 10.2 per 1,000 US 2021
Verified13In UK CSEW 2022/23, households in most deprived areas had 2.5% burglary risk
Verified14UK private rented households burglary prevalence 2.8% vs 1.1% owner-occupied (2022/23)
Directional15In Australia, 25-34 year olds most likely burglary victims at 3.2% rate (2022)
Single source16Australian homes with residents aged 65+ had 1.8% burglary victimization (2022)
Verified17In Canada, urban households burglary rate 1.7% vs rural 1.1% (GSS 2019)
Verified18French households in urban areas 2x more likely burgled than rural (2022 INSEE)
Verified19In Germany, single-person households burglary risk 1.5x higher (2022 BKA)
Directional20Italian villas and detached homes 70% of burglary targets (2022 ISTAT)
Single source21In Sweden, immigrant households 2x burglary victimization rate (2022 Brå)
Verified22New Zealand Maori households burglary rate 4.1% vs 1.9% others (2022)
Verified23South African low-income suburbs 5x higher house burglary rates (2022 SAPS)
Verified24In NYC, 40% of burglaries target apartments in low-income areas (2022 NYPD)
Directional25LA homes without alarms in high-crime neighborhoods 4x risk (2022 LAPD)
Single source26Chicago South Side burglary victimization 3x city average (2022 CPD)
Verified27London deprived boroughs like Croydon 3.2% household burglary rate (2022/23)
Verified28In Texas, rural homes less targeted but higher per capita loss (2022 DPS)
Verified29Florida elderly communities burglary rate 2.1 per 1,000 (2022 FDLE)
Directional3060% of US burglary victims are white, 20% Black, 15% Hispanic (NCVS 2021)
Single source3134% of US residential burglaries involve forcible entry (UCR 2022)
VerifiedVictim 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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