The Burrow
Feb 12, 2025
We all want to feel safe in our own homes, so reports of burglaries always tend to strike fear into our neighbourhoods. While it’s hard to monitor the trends around burglaries since they vary so widely depending on your region, by looking at the statistics across your country, you can take some notes on how to better protect your home.
As home and contents insurance experts, we conducted a survey across Australia and the USA to find out their experiences with burglaries. We aimed to uncover trends such as the most common times for a burglary to occur, the most common entry points, and more. Looking to prevent thefts in your area? Here are our findings on home security trends, as well as our top burglary prevention tips:
The most common time of day for burglaries in Australia is the early morning (12:00 AM to 6:00 AM), with 40% of crimes reported between these hours. Afternoons are the second most vulnerable time, with 20% of incidents occurring between 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM.
Meanwhile, Fridays and Saturdays are the most common days of the week for burglaries – each day accounting for 16% of thefts respectively. As for the most prevalent time of year, the season with the most burglaries reported is summer, so it may be worth tightening security measures before going on holiday or experiencing warm weather.
Interestingly, 31% of burglars enter properties through the window, according to our Australian survey participants, making it the point of entry used most often in thefts. Back doors are the second most used entrance, being used in 27% of burglaries. Incidents were also most common in areas with high population density, with New South Wales (28%) and Victoria (27%) the states with the highest burglary rates.
Burglaries in Australia leave homeowners with an average financial loss of $2,129 AUD, while 14% of reported incidents lead to losses of more than $5,000 AUD.
Younger homeowners aged between 25 and 44 are the most likely group to be affected, with 58% of burglaries affecting this age range. Forty-three per cent of our respondents experienced a burglary within the past three years, making it clear that home security concerns need to be addressed urgently.
Importantly, only 28% of respondents who experienced a burglary had a security system installed at the time. This means that more than half of those who were stolen from had no system in place to help ward off thieves or record evidence to assist Police in investigating the crime.
Although America shares some similarities with Australia when it comes to burglary trends, it has its own outlying statistics that show the regional differences in thefts.
While Australian burglaries are most common in the early hours of the morning, 29% of home thefts in the USA happen in the evening, making it the most likely time for a burglary in the country. Early mornings are the second most common time, with 24% of incidents taking place in this period.
The most burglaries happened on Friday and Wednesday, with both days accounting for 17% of incidents. Saturday was third at 16% of incidents, highlighting that both weekends and workdays are risky for burglaries and that 24/7 security is the best way to avoid a break-in.
Almost a third of burglaries in America take place in the summer, as burglars look to take advantage of trips away from home. Winter also sees a significant number of thefts though, with 22% of incidents taking place in the colder months. Again, this shows that while timings are important, we should be mindful of our security at all times.
Similar to Australia, American homes are most often entered by the windows (31%) and back doors (26%) during burglaries. However, while 18% of Australian thefts involve entry through a garage, only 12% of American homes are entered this way, with front doors being more common at 20%.
A third of victims in America lose between $500 and $1000 USD in incidents, with the average cost of a burglary totalling $1,739.87.
Again, home security measures seemed to be lacking, as only 33% of those surveyed had a security system in place at the time of their reported burglary. While this means security is marginally more common in America than in Australia, it still highlights the number of burglaries that might have been prevented with the right systems in place.
Our survey shows that there are some prevailing trends around burglaries across the world, but measures can be taken to prevent them from happening too. Here are some of our key pieces of advice for avoiding a burglary in your home:
Knowing when to keep an eye out for burglaries at their peak times can help you get the most out of your home security and enjoy the rest of your time without stress. Make sure to stay aware during the afternoons (especially in the US) and the early mornings, with your home security system set to monitor times when you may be at higher risk.
Most burglars enter homes through windows and back doors, so make sure security is tight in these areas. Consider buying window locks to stop unwanted entry, and don’t leave doors unlocked when you’re not present.
More than half of respondents in both Australia and the US didn’t have home security systems in place when their homes were stolen from. Some homeowners may be put off by the price of quality security, but they risk even bigger financial losses if a burglary does occur. Be ahead of the curve and prepare for an incident before it happens, instead of tightening your security after a thief has already been.
Adrian Taylor, Executive General Manager of General Insurance at Compare the Market, notes that adding home security systems not only helps prevent burglaries, but it can also potentially impact home and contents insurance premiums.
“Alarm systems can sometimes lead to lower home and contents insurance premiums, specifically ‘back-to-base’ alarms that notify you and can notify authorities. Lights and camera systems are less likely to lead to premium reductions, but they may be able to help too, in more ways than one, saving you a bit of money by helping to prevent a burglary,” says Mr Taylor.
“Everyone worries about break-ins, but while it’s impossible to prevent them entirely, we can all take steps to prepare ourselves in the event of a theft. Be sure to invest in appropriate security measures, such as locks, cameras, and alarms, and never leave valuables unattended without locking up beforehand.”
3Gem was commissioned in January 2025 to survey 250 Australian and 750 American respondents.