A new study has revealed postcodes across the UK with the highest and lowest rates of burglary claims from 2020 until 2022.

Price comparison site MoneySuperMarket examined over 7 million home insurance quotes. Its research revealed that burglary claims in the past year had increased by 106 percent compared to 2020, surging from 7.79 to 16.01 per 1,000 quotes.

The study, published on August 14, 2023, breaks down postcodes with the most and fewest burglary claims and postcodes that are most and least likely to install a burglar alarm at homes, among others.

Burglary hotspots in the UK

The Birmingham postcode B94, which includes Olton and Solihull, had 57.83 claims for every 1,000 quotes since 2020. In general, Birmingham postcodes account for 16 percent of the top 50, with six postcodes. 

London leads the list with almost half (45 percent) of the top 50, comprising 23 postcodes. Additional cities featured in the top 50 are Greater Manchester, Bradford, Glasgow, and Sheffield. 

In contrast, the Cambridgeshire postcode PE15, which includes areas like March, Benwick, Doddington, Manea, and Wimblington, has the lowest claim rate for every 1,000 quotes since 2020, standing at just 0.28. 

Following closely, and somewhat unsurprisingly, the Welsh postcode SY23 (Aberystwyth, Llanon, and Llanrhystud) and CA1, covering Carlisle East, secured the second and third lowest positions with claim rates of 0.34 and 0.36, respectively.

“Unfortunately, the extra time spent away from our homes provided burglars with more opportunities,” said David McDermottroe, home insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket.

“Although this type of crime may be less common in those areas [with the least burglary claim notes], unfortunately, no one is immune to burglars.”

Keeping homes safe

With technology advancements in the market, there are multiple tools that homeowners can use to protect their homes, such as doorbell cameras and smart light bulbs. However, burglar alarms remain a favourite to deter intruders.

According to the study, Croxteth Park and West Derby (L12) in Liverpool have the highest rate of burglar alarm installation in the UK. Around 67.3 percent of homeowners who ran a quote in the area said they had an alarm system. 

Other security-conscious areas include the West Midlands towns of Bescot, Tamebridge, and Yew Tree (WS5) and the Manchester postcode of M28. In these towns, burglar alarms are installed in 67 percent and 66.2 percent of homes, respectively.

Earlston (TD4) in the Scottish Borders has the lowest rate of burglar alarm installation in the UK, with just 0.2 percent. In fact, 62 percent of the postcode areas that are least likely to protect their homes with burglar alarms are in Scotland, including the Highlands, Argyllshire, the Scottish Borders, and the Orkney Islands, followed by Wales (six postcodes) and the Isle of Man (three postcodes).

These data suggest that people living in these areas may feel less at risk of burglary.

“While it’s not a surprise to see the list of burglary hotspots dominated by large cities like Birmingham, it is interesting to learn that a large proportion of people in rural areas aren’t protecting their homes with a burglar alarm,” said McDermottroe.

On top of safety tools, homeowners can consider home insurance that can cover their belongings. These insurances can protect treasured and high-value items, such as comic books, wine, rare coins, bikes, watches, or jewellery. If a collection is precious, they can consider specialist insurance.

High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), especially those living in burglary-prone areas, employ security companies like Marengo for additional protection. They can provide additional protection by assessing the property’s vulnerabilities and tailoring the most suitable security solutions for the houses and their owners.