Burglaries around the world decreased significantly during the pandemic, due to more people being at home. However, with life back to normal, and people going out, socializing, break-ins are reportedly on the rise.

With ‘home break-ins’ rising +120% over the past 12 months, many people worldwide are becoming more conscious of keeping their home safe. But which cities are more prone to break-ins?

To find out which cities need to be extra conscious of home security, new research by Compare the Market AU has revealed the cities across the world with the highest burglary rates, as well as those with the lowest. The research also revealed which cities around the world spend the most on smart home security.

The cities with the most break-ins

The city that has the most break-ins is Manchester, in the UK, at a rate of 1,150 per 100,000 people: with Birmingham, UK coming in second place at 1,131.4. Regional police forces across the UK post tips on the best ways to prevent burglaries, but that hasn’t stopped them from having the highest rates.

Canada’s capital comes in third place, with Ottawa experiencing a burglary rate of 1,072 per 100,000 people. Ottawa police run an initiative where, at the request of a homeowner, they’ll visit a property to carry out a safety audit, and suggest ways to help reduce the risk of a break-in.

The USA featured quite heavily, with Columbus, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Dallas, all making it into the top 10.

When it comes to Australia, Brisbane has the highest burglary rates, at 851 per 100,000 people, putting it in fourth place. However, there are a couple of European cities that make the list too – Athens, with a break-in rate of 762, and Stockholm, at 736.

The cities with the least break-ins

At the other end of the spectrum is Oslo, with Norway’s capital having the lowest burglary rate, at just 33 per 100,000 people.

Most of the cities listed are all located in Europe – Bratislava, Riga, and Berlin are in third, fourth and fifth place; with Lisbon, Vienna, Bucharest, and Ljubljana also making it into our list of cities with the fewest break-ins.

Perth scores extremely well – at a burglary rate of 56.6 per 100,000 people, it’s the city with the second least number of break-ins in the world; and New York has the lowest rates in the US, at 128.87.

The countries that spend the most on smart home security

Interestingly, if we then look at the countries that spend the most on smart home security, we can see that Oslo and Perth both come out on top, spending an average of US $22.21 and US $19.22 per person.

In fact, Oslo’s always been ahead of the curve, and are working through initiatives to make it a smart city. This means that everything from energy usage to traffic and congestion can be analyzed and worked on, to ensure the city is as sustainable and safe as possible.

Smart home security systems are popular in Australia, with Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Brisbane all spending the same amount as Perth, at around US $19.22 per person, to make sure their homes are safe and secure.

Copenhagen comes in seventh place, as the second and last European city in the top ten, with New York, San Diego and San Jose rounding off the top 10, each at US $16.40 on average per person.

Manchester in the UK ranked as the city which experiences the most burglaries per year with an overall rate of 1,150 break-ins per 100,000 people. Ranking second and further down the country is the city of Birmingham, which had a burglary rate of 1,131.4 people per 100,000.

Moving over to the rest of the world, Canada’s capital city Ottawa ranks third with a burglary rate of 1,072 break-ins per 100,000 people, while Brisbane in Australia places fourth at 851 per 100,000 people. In Ottawa, the police force is attempting to combat the high break-in rates by offering free audits to residents to keep their property safe.

Research shows that investing in smart home security can be beneficial in deterring any opportunistic thieves. However, this doesn’t protect you from the financial impact a break-in can have, which is why it’s so important you take out home and content insurance. Depending on your policy and level of cover, it can help cover the cost of lost or stolen possessions. You could also see discounts on some policies if you show insurers that you have home security installed at your property.

To find out more on the research, including the full list of countries with the least number of break-ins, click here.