Who is the ‘average burglar’?

It can be difficult coping with a burglary, whether it be yourself, a relative, someone you know or simply someone who lives down your road. It’s common that following a burglary the victim(s) will consider whether or not the burglar could have in fact been someone that they know either dearly or whether it was someone they simply didn’t know at all. Below are just some reoccurring statistics that almost give us a profile for the ‘average burglar’.

  • In 52% of cases, the burglar is a complete stranger to the victim – meaning that the other 48% it could be a loved one, a close friend or simply an acquaintance.
  • In a steep 86% of burglary cases the burglar is male, being able to apply more force to breaking and entering.
  • In another shocking study it has been found that in 48% of cases the burglar is aged between 16 – 24, giving our ‘average burglar’ quite the baby face.
  • Lastly, in 63% of cases, the burglar will in fact enter the property on their own although it is quite commonly thought that burglars have accomplices in order to take possessions from the property, it just goes to show that even these burglars don’t want to let on to anyone what they’re doing or get others involved.
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Although we all have an idea of what a burglar may look or be like, these statistics certainly show that we shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions, there simply isn’t an ‘average burglar’. We’d just like to advise that you’re wary of those around you and keep your house secure with one or some of the many products and services that are available.