Imagine a crime so common that while America logged over 200,000 cases in a single year and global numbers hit 1.1 million, your personal risk could swing wildly depending on your age, location, and background.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the United States reported 202,831 robberies to law enforcement, marking a 1.6% decrease from 206,468 in 2021 according to FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program data
- Globally, there were an estimated 1.1 million robberies recorded by police in 2020 across 100+ countries reporting to UNODC, representing a 5% decline from 2019 levels
- In England and Wales, police-recorded robbery offences totalled 73,508 in the year ending March 2023, up 7% from the previous year per Office for National Statistics
- In the U.S., males comprised 86% of robbery victims aged 12+ in 2019 per BJS NCVS
- Black individuals were 2.4 times more likely than whites to be robbed in U.S. 2017-2021 per BJS
- Persons aged 20-24 had the highest robbery victimization rate of 3.2 per 1,000 in U.S. 2021 per NCVS
- U.S. offenders in robberies were 88% male in 2021 arrests per FBI UCR
- Black Americans accounted for 51% of robbery arrests in U.S. 2021 despite 13% population per FBI
- Average age of U.S. robbery arrestees was 27.4 years in 2021 per FBI
- Street robberies comprised 55% of U.S. total robberies in 2022 per FBI
- Gun use in 40% of U.S. nonfatal robberies 2021 per NCVS
- In UK, phone snatching (robbers on bikes/scooters) up 50% to 78,000 in 2022 per Home Office
- U.S. robbery cost society $29 billion annually in 2017 per NIJ
- Average U.S. robbery loss $1,200 per incident 2021 per NCVS
- UK robberies cost £4.6 billion in 2022 including losses and fear per Home Office
Robbery trends vary significantly by country with overall rates declining slowly.
Incidence and Prevalence
1In 2022, the United States reported 202,831 robberies to law enforcement, marking a 1.6% decrease from 206,468 in 2021 according to FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program data
Verified2Globally, there were an estimated 1.1 million robberies recorded by police in 2020 across 100+ countries reporting to UNODC, representing a 5% decline from 2019 levels
Verified3In England and Wales, police-recorded robbery offences totalled 73,508 in the year ending March 2023, up 7% from the previous year per Office for National Statistics
Verified4Canada saw 23,571 robberies in 2022, a 15% increase from 2021 according to Statistics Canada
Directional5Australia reported 25,912 robbery incidents in 2021-22, down 2% from prior year per Australian Bureau of Statistics
Single source6In 2021, Germany had 35,423 robberies, a 4.2% drop from 2020 as per Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA)
Verified7France recorded 51,500 robberies in 2022, stable compared to 2021 according to Ministry of Interior
Verified8India estimated 2.2 million robbery cases under IPC in 2022 per National Crime Records Bureau
Verified9South Africa had 21,325 robberies reported in 2022/23, up 3% from previous year per South African Police Service
Directional10Brazil reported 433,066 robberies in 2022, a 4% decrease from 2021 according to Brazilian Public Security Forum
Single source11Japan logged 1,722 robberies in 2022, lowest in postwar records per National Police Agency
Verified12Mexico City alone had 12,456 robberies in Q1 2023 per local Secretariat of Security
Verified13New York City reported 13,468 robberies in 2022, up 30% from 2021 NYPD data
Verified14Los Angeles saw 5,877 robberies in 2022, a 10.3% increase per LAPD
Directional15Chicago had 8,015 robberies in 2022, down 2% from 2021 per CPD
Single source16London recorded 98,089 robbery offences in 2022/23, up 24% per Metropolitan Police
Verified17In the EU, robbery rates fell 12% from 2012 to 2021 per Eurostat, averaging 68 per 100,000 population in 2021
Verified18Nigeria reported 12,000+ armed robberies in 2022 per Nigeria Police Force
Verified19Russia had 12,500 robberies in 2022, down 8% per Interior Ministry
Directional20Sweden saw 5,800 robberies in 2022, up 10% from 2021 per BRA
Single source21In 2021, U.S. robbery rate was 59.3 per 100,000 inhabitants per FBI
Verified22UK robbery rate stood at 105 per 100,000 in 2022/23 per ONS
Verified23Philippines reported 3,500 robberies in 2022 per PNP
Verified24Argentina had 45,000 robberies in Buenos Aires province alone in 2022 per local stats
Directional25Turkey recorded 22,000 robberies in 2022 per Turkish Statistical Institute
Single source26In 2022, U.S. robberies accounted for 0.6% of all violent crimes per FBI
Verified27Colombia saw 25,000 robberies in Bogota 2022 per local police
Verified28Italy reported 22,000 robberies in 2022, down 5% per ISTAT
Verified29Spain had 29,000 robberies in 2022 per Ministry of Interior
DirectionalIncidence and Prevalence Interpretation
The global picture of robbery is a chaotic quilt of crime trends, stitched together by wildly varying national threads—where one country's sharp decline is another's alarming spike, proving that while the world may be getting slightly less grabby on average, your personal safety still depends heavily on your postal code.
Modus Operandi and Locations
1Street robberies comprised 55% of U.S. total robberies in 2022 per FBI
Verified2Gun use in 40% of U.S. nonfatal robberies 2021 per NCVS
Verified3In UK, phone snatching (robbers on bikes/scooters) up 50% to 78,000 in 2022 per Home Office
Verified4Convenience stores were site of 12% U.S. robberies 2022 per FBI NIBRS
Directional5Residence burglaries with robbery element 8% of total U.S. 2021 per NCVS
Single source6Canada bank robberies fell to 150 in 2022 from 300 prior per RCMP
Verified7Australia smash-and-grab robberies rose 20% in retail 2021-22 per ABS
Verified8France ATM robberies 5,000 in 2022, down 10% per Interieur
Verified925% German robberies involved knives in 2022 per BKA
Directional10U.S. highway robberies 3% of total, often carjackings per NHTSA 2021
Single source11Sweden moped gang robberies 1,200 in 2022 per police
Verified12NYC subway robberies 1,200 in 2022, up 25% per MTA/NYPD
Verified13Brazil carjacking robberies 100,000+ in 2022 per FBSP
Verified1435% UK robberies with weapon in 2022 per ONS
Directional15LA jewelry store robberies spiked 50% to 100+ in 2022 per LAPD
Single source16South Africa house robberies 18,000 in 2022/23 per SAPS
Verified17Chicago armed robberies 70% of total 2022 per CPD
Verified18Australia online marketplace meetup robberies rose 30% 2021 per AIC
Verified19Japan home invasion robberies rare, only 200 in 2022 per NPA
Directional20Mexico street robberies 80% of total in CDMX 2022 per SSC
Single source21EU commercial robberies 20% of total 2021 per Eurostat
VerifiedModus Operandi and Locations Interpretation
While guns dominate U.S. headlines and phones vanish from British hands, the global story of robbery reveals a criminal menu that's ruthlessly local, from Canada's plummeting bank heists to L.A.'s sparkling jewelry store sprees.
Offender Characteristics
1U.S. offenders in robberies were 88% male in 2021 arrests per FBI UCR
Verified2Black Americans accounted for 51% of robbery arrests in U.S. 2021 despite 13% population per FBI
Verified3Average age of U.S. robbery arrestees was 27.4 years in 2021 per FBI
Verified415% of U.S. robbery offenders had prior felony convictions per BJS 2019 data
Directional5In UK, 70% of convicted robbers were under 25 in 2022 per MoJ
Single source6Gang affiliation noted in 25% of U.S. urban robberies 2021 per NIJ study
Verified7Canada robbery offenders were 85% male, 40% Indigenous in 2022 per StatsCan
Verified8In Australia, 60% of robbery offenders had substance abuse issues per AIC 2021
Verified9French robbers averaged 28 years old, 75% unemployed in 2022 per Ministry
Directional1045% of German robbery offenders were non-German nationals in 2022 per BKA
Single source11U.S. white offenders 45% of robbery arrests 2021 per FBI
Verified12Sweden robbers 50% foreign-born in 2022 per BRA
Verified13NYC robbery suspects 55% Black, 30% Hispanic in 2022 per NYPD
Verified14Brazil robbery offenders 80% male under 30 in 2022 per FBSP
Directional1530% of UK robbers had mental health diagnoses per MoJ 2022
Single source16LA robbery arrestees 40% homeless in 2022 per LAPD
Verified17South Africa robbers 90% male, average age 25 in 2022 per ISS
Verified18Chicago robbery offenders 70% Black in 2022 per CPD data
Verified1965% of Australian robbers recidivists per AIC 2021
Directional20Japan robbery offenders 95% male, often unemployed per NPA 2022
Single source21Mexican robbers 60% gang members in urban areas 2022 per SESNSP
Verified22EU robbery offenders average 27 years, 82% male in 2021 per Eurostat
VerifiedOffender Characteristics Interpretation
The portrait of a robber, painted by these cold statistics across multiple nations, is consistently one of a young man, often unemployed and entangled in issues of substance, gang life, or systemic disadvantage, revealing a global crime of desperation far more than one of simple greed.
Socioeconomic and Policy Impacts
1U.S. robbery cost society $29 billion annually in 2017 per NIJ
Verified2Average U.S. robbery loss $1,200 per incident 2021 per NCVS
Verified3UK robberies cost £4.6 billion in 2022 including losses and fear per Home Office
Verified4Canada robbery economic cost $2.5 billion CAD in 2014 updated estimates per Public Safety Canada
Directional5U.S. robbery clearance rate 25.5% in 2022 lowest among violent crimes per FBI
Single source6Australia robbery prevention via CCTV reduced incidents 15% in monitored areas per AIC
Verified7France post-2015 security laws cut robberies 20% in targeted zones per INHESJ
Verified8Germany robbery clearance 45% in 2022 per BKA
Verified9U.S. states with right-to-carry laws saw 5-7% robbery drop per Lott study 2020 update
Directional10UK knife ban post-2018 reduced robbery weapons 10% per MoJ
Single source11Brazil UPP program reduced Rio robberies 30% in favelas 2010-2020 per IPEA
Verified12NYC CompStat policing cut robberies 70% from 1990 peak per NYPD
Verified13Sweden cashless society reduced robberies 40% 2010-2022 per Riksbank
Verified14South Africa private security prevented 20% robberies in 2022 per SAPS
Directional15U.S. robbery recidivism 40% within 3 years per BJS 2018
Single source16Chicago violence interrupter programs lowered robbery hotspots 25% per CF
Verified17EU robbery rates correlate -0.6 with GDP per capita per Eurostat 2021
Verified18Japan community policing boasts 90% robbery clearance rate 2022 per NPA
Verified19Mexico cash transfers reduced youth robbery involvement 15% per eval 2022
Directional20In U.S., robberies caused 510 homicides in 2022 (felony murders) per FBI SHR
Single source21LA predictive policing reduced robberies 7-21% in test zones per UCLA study
Verified22UK problem-oriented policing cut repeat robberies 18% per College of Policing
VerifiedSocioeconomic and Policy Impacts Interpretation
Robbery may be a persistent and costly global problem, but the data reveals a clear, if difficult, truth: the best solutions are a varied, diligent, and often local mix of smart policy, community investment, and relentless policing, as no single law or technology can fully stop a crime where the average take is often less than the societal price we all pay.
Victim Characteristics
1In the U.S., males comprised 86% of robbery victims aged 12+ in 2019 per BJS NCVS
Verified2Black individuals were 2.4 times more likely than whites to be robbed in U.S. 2017-2021 per BJS
Verified3Persons aged 20-24 had the highest robbery victimization rate of 3.2 per 1,000 in U.S. 2021 per NCVS
Verified4In urban U.S. areas, robbery victimization rate was 2.3 per 1,000 vs 0.8 in rural 2021 per BJS
Directional554% of U.S. robbery victims in 2019 were employed full-time per NCVS
Single source6Among U.S. robbery victims 12+, 25% were injured in 2021 per BJS
Verified7In England, 42% of robbery victims were under 25 in 2022 per CSEW
Verified8UK male robbery victims outnumbered females 3:1 in 2022/23 per ONS
Verified9In Canada, Indigenous people were 3x more likely to be robbed than non-Indigenous in 2019 per StatsCan
Directional1068% of Australian robbery victims were male in 2021-22 per ABS Crime Victimisation Survey
Single source11In France, 30% of robbery victims were tourists in Paris 2022 per police stats
Verified12U.S. Hispanics had robbery victimization rate of 1.8 per 1,000 in 2021 vs 1.1 for non-Hispanics per BJS
Verified13Elderly (65+) U.S. robbery rate was 0.4 per 1,000 in 2021, lowest age group per NCVS
Verified14In Sweden, immigrants were 2.5x more likely to be robbery victims than natives in 2022 per BRA
Directional1540% of NYC robbery victims in 2022 were Asian per NYPD
Single source16In Brazil, 55% of robbery victims were low-income in 2022 per FBSP survey
Verified17UK student robbery victims rose 20% in 2022, 15% of total per ONS
Verified18In Germany, 35% of robbery victims were under 20 in 2022 per BKA
Verified19U.S. poor households (<$25k) had 2.5x robbery rate of high-income in 2021 per NCVS
Directional20In LA, 28% of robbery victims were homeless in 2022 per LAPD
Single source21Female UK robbery victims reported higher injury rates (35%) than males (22%) in 2022 per CSEW
Verified22In South Africa, 60% of robbery victims were Black Africans in 2022 per SAPS
Verified23Chicago robbery victims were 45% Black, 30% Hispanic in 2022 per CPD
Verified24In Australia, Indigenous robbery victimization rate was 12.5 per 1,000 vs 1.2 national in 2021 per ABS
Directional2522% of U.S. robbery victims used public transport at time of incident 2021 per NCVS
Single source26In Japan, elderly robbery victims increased 15% to 25% of total in 2022 per NPA
Verified27Mexican robbery victims in 2022 were 52% male, 48% female per INEGI
Verified28In the EU, young adults (15-29) made up 45% of robbery victims in 2021 per Eurostat
VerifiedVictim Characteristics Interpretation
This grim global audit reveals robbery to be a crime that systematically preys upon the young, the male, the poor, and the marginalized, with geographic variations only in the specific shade of vulnerability being targeted.
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