Manchester has been named the second "most dangerous" place to live in the UK for burglaries, according to a new study. Research carried out by Confused.com analysed the number of burglaries across the country between 2017 and 2021.
Only Middlesbrough had a higher burglary rate than Manchester, which saw an average of 7.11 thefts per 1,000 people last year. The city's rate is more than double the UK national average of 2.60 thefts per 1,000 people, the data shows.
Bolton and Stockport also ranked in the top ten most burgled parts of the country. In Bolton, 6.57 burglaries per 1,000 people were reported to police, while there were 6.10 per 1,000 population in Stockport.
All ten boroughs of Greater Manchester were among the top 50 most burgled parts of the UK. Trafford is regarded as the safest area of the region with 5.03 burglaries per 1,000 people in 2021.
In order, the top ten most burgled areas of the UK are: Middlesbrough, Manchester, Doncaster, Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea, Bolton, Haringey, Birmingham, Stockport, and Hammersmith and Fulham. That being said, there is generally a drop in burglary rates across the whole country year on year. In Manchester, there has been a 35.9% decrease since 2017.
The rate plummeted 30.7% in Bolton and 37% in Stockport. The burglary rates across Greater Manchester were as follows:
Manchester 7.11 (2021), - (2020), - (2019), 11.09 (2018), 11.1 (2017)
Bolton 6.57 (2021), - (2020), - (2019), 7.3 (2018), 8.59 (2017)
Stockport 6.10 (2021), - (2020), - (2019), 7.69 (2018), 9.7 (2017)
Salford 6.00 (2021), - (2020), - (2019), 6.59 (2018), 7.27 (2017)
Tameside 5.89 (2021), - (2020), - (2019), 7.63 (2018), 8.53 (2017)
Bury 5.77 (2021), - (2020), - (2019), 6.13 (2018), 7.37 (2017)
Rochdale 5.69 (2021), - (2020), - (2019), 7.3 (2018), 8.69 (2017)
Oldham 5.34 (2021), - (2020), - (2019), 7.21 (2018), 7.31 (2017)
Wigan 5.23 (2021), - (2020), - (2019), 6.47 (2018), 6.69 (2017)
Trafford 5.03 (2021), - (2020), - (2019), 6.37 (2018), 5.87 (2017)
East Dunbartonshire in Scotland was found to be the safest part of the UK to live in with just 0.44 burglaries per 1,000 people last year - dropping from 1.73 in 2017. Meanwhile, the study found that the South-West has the safest homes in England.
Of the top 10 safest homes in the UK overall, four of them are from the South–West of England. South Devon and Dartmoor residents have the safest homes in England with 0.60 burglaries per 1,000 people. Powys and Pembrokeshire have the lowest burglary rates in Wales while residents of Mid Ulster live in Northern Ireland’s safest region.
Jessica Willock, home insurance expert at Confused.com, said: “Although burglary rates seem to be dropping year on year, it’s still as important to make sure your home is safe. Security cameras and burglary alarms aren’t only a great deterrent from potential thieves but having them could reduce your home insurance prices.
“Our guide to protecting your home from burglars outlines some of the most effective ways of keeping your house safe. This includes some simple changes, such as investing in smart home security.
"Nowadays, technology has advanced to give us cheap, easy to install smart home devices such as doorbells and automated lights. These let you know who’s outside without you needing to go near the door.”
