Greece has recorded Europe’s third-steepest decline in burglaries over the past decade, trailing only Bulgaria and Lithuania, according to new figures from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Police in Greece recorded 12,523 burglaries in 2024, down from 43,647 in 2014—a decline of over 71 percent and more than double the average decrease across the European Union over the same period, which stood at 35.4 percent.
The downward trend has continued in the short term as well. Burglaries in Greece fell from 13,432 cases in 2023 to 12,523 in 2024, a decline of nearly 7 percent. Across the EU as a whole, burglaries decreased by a more modest 2.6 percent between 2023 and 2024. EU-wide totals reached a decade low of about 1.1 million cases in 2021 before rising again to roughly 1.20 million by 2024.
Residential burglary rate confirms Greece’s steep decline across Europe
Burglary rates measured against population size tell a similar story. Greece recorded about 400 burglaries per 100,000 residents in 2014. By 2024, that figure had fallen to approximately 121.
Residential burglaries, which account for the majority of all break-ins reported across the EU, followed the same downward trend in Greece. Cases involving private homes fell from 22,881 in 2014 to 6,007 in 2024, a decline of nearly 74 percent.
Across the EU, residential burglaries totaled 721,876 in 2024, accounting for about 60 percent of all burglary cases. That represented a 38.1 percent decline from 2014, although the pace of improvement slowed sharply to just 0.5 percent between 2023 and 2024. Residential burglaries reached a decade low of 642,244 cases in 2021 before increasing over the following three years.
Only two countries recorded steeper overall declines than Greece. Bulgaria’s burglary count fell by 81 percent over the decade, from 15,327 cases to 2,970. Lithuania followed closely behind with a 79 percent decline, from 3,342 cases to 691.
Spain and France report far smaller burglary declines than Greece
Some of the largest economies of Europe recorded far more modest declines. Burglaries in Spain fell by 17 percent over the same 10-year period, while France reported a 20 percent decline. Greece’s burglary decline, however, places it well ahead of most of its European neighbors, according to the figures.
The data come as police forces across Europe urge residents heading into the summer travel season to secure their homes, warning that properties left vacant during vacations remain common targets for burglars.
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