UK Home insurance statistics 2023

This page includes relevant UK home insurance statistics for 2023, such as:

• The evolution of the UK home insurance market
• The impact on average UK house insurance costs
• Home insurance claim statistics outlining the most common claims

The UK insurance sector is the fourth largest in the world, managing investments of £1.8 trillion and employing 300,000 people. The UK also has one of the highest insurance penetration rates in Europe, at over 14%. Approximately 41.6 million UK adults possess some form of general insurance, with the main ones being buildings, contents, and combined home insurance policies.

Our home insurance report collates UK home insurance statistics for 2023, alongside our own data, to analyse patterns and show how the market is changing. By analysing past and present trends, this allows us to compare home insurance data and suggest what the future holds for UK home insurance customers.

Overview: UK home insurance statistics 2023

• The UK home insurance market value is expected to reach £4.2 billion in 2023
• As of 2023, there are around 35 million home insurance policies in the UK
• More than half (52%) of people bought their home insurance policy online in 2022-23
• It’s estimated that around a quarter of UK homes (7 million) are currently without home insurance
• The total value of gross net written premiums for UK home insurance in Q4 2022 was £21.7 billion
• Around 90% of UK home insurance policyholders in 2022 were existing customers, with 50% staying with their existing provider and 40% choosing to switch
• Around 75% of UK home insurance customers choose to shop around before committing to buy a policy

UK home insurance market share statistics

Between 2018-23, the UK home insurance market size decreased by an average of 1.6% per year. In 2023, its market value is predicted to be worth around £4.2 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +3.5%.

A breakdown of UK home insurance policy sales figures 2018-24

(Source: Statista)

There are almost 35 million home insurance policies across the country, over half of which (52%) were bought online.

UK home insurance statistics reveal that the number of new policies bought online has increased by almost 4% since 2018, from 17.25 million to just under 18 million in 2023. But the opposite has happened for offline policies, going from 18.39 million to 16.83 million (a drop of almost 8.5% in the last 5 years).

Between 2018-24, property insurance statistics indicate that the number of new policies will have decreased by around 1 million (or 2.7%) over this 6-year period.

A breakdown of UK home insurance market share statistics by quarterly expenses, losses, and net written premiums (NWPs)

According to our home insurance report, levels of profitability within the UK home insurance industry fluctuated between 2021-22. Since Q1 2021, the value of gross net written premiums (NWPs) has generally increased quarter-on-quarter, from £17.33 billion to £21.7 billion as of Q4 2022 – a rise of 25%.

During this time, combined losses have shifted from 106% in Q1 2022, down to almost 96% the following quarter. While the expenses ratio has normally varied between 39% and 45%, it’s the reported losses that have impacted the industry’s profitability the most between 2021-22.

As of Q2 2021, losses from policy claims accounted for just over half (52%) of all outgoings for that financial quarter – the lowest recorded figures across 2021-22. But in Q1 2022, the respective figure was more than 66%.

UK Home insurance providers statistics

A breakdown of the largest UK home insurance companies by market share

(Source: Consumer Intelligence)

In a survey of 24,000 home insurance customers by Consumer Intelligence, Aviva was found to be the most popular company in the UK for property insurance in 2022 (representing 8.7%). This was followed by LV= (7.3%), Direct Line (6.2%), and Admiral (6.1%).

A breakdown of UK home insurance companies and their percentage gain in market share 2022

(Source: Consumer Intelligence)

According to a home insurance report by Consumer Intelligence, home insurance providers Policy Expert and Aviva both saw a +0.9% growth in their market share between April-November 2022. The former, which introduced a new Bronze, Silver, and Gold tier system in April 2022, grew its customer count by more than 30% in the 8 months to November.

How many home insurance customers renew their policy each year?

UK home insurance statistics show that around 9 in 10 (90% of) combined buildings and contents home insurance policyholders are existing customers. Of these, half (50%) choose to renew their policy, with 2 in 5 (40%) choosing to switch providers.

Over 80% of combined cover policyholders who renew still search for alternative policies and/or negotiate a new deal, before agreeing to renew with their existing provider.

Consumer Intelligence's home insurance report found that price was a significant factor in shaping whether a customer renewed their existing home insurance policy. Less than half (44%) of policyholders were offered a lower price after shopping around.

(Source: Consumer Intelligence)

Of all UK home insurance companies surveyed, Policy Expert had the highest customer retention rate in 2022, with almost 87% of customers renewing their existing home insurance policy. This was marginally ahead of NFU Mutual, in second place, with just under 85%.

The same report found that more than 7 in 10 customers from Nationwide (75.1%), NatWest (75%), and Sainsbury’s (74.7%) also chose to stay with their home insurance provider.

These home insurance statistics are the first to be published since the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) enforced a ban on dual pricing. This involved the practice of setting different prices in different markets for the same product or service, with the intention of making a profit.

The figures have shown a change in strategy among some multi-brand insurance groups. For example, Sheilas’ Wheels became more competitively priced for home insurance in 2022, growing its customer base by 40% across the year.

Almost 3 in 4 (72%) customers still prefer to shop around for their home insurance, with just under half (47%) switching providers.

High-value and mid-value home insurance are 2 of the many different types of home insurance policies available in the UK. In 2022, the high-value home insurance market was valued at £671 million, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of +6% between 2022-26. This is largely attributed to a growing number of high-net-worth individuals, alongside rising double-digit premium rates.

By contrast, the mid-value home insurance market was worth around £350 million in 2022, with a forecasted CAGR of +3% between 2022-26.

According to our home insurance report, there are more than 400,000 high-net-worth individuals in the UK (those with liquid assets of more than £1 million).

Despite recent economic hard times, the number of high-value home insurance policies has actually increased, by an average of +3.9% per year between 2018-22. At the same time, there are around 15.7 million people in the UK considered mid-net-worth clients (those with liquid assets of between £50,000 and £1 million).

The future of the UK home insurance market

Our home insurance report suggests the UK home insurance market should grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +7.3% from 2019 to 2028.

Between Q1 and Q2 2022, average home insurance prices dropped by 5% and 7%, respectively. By the end of 2022, insurance costs rose around 6% across the year, and by December 2023, this figure could be up to 30% higher (compared to 2022 figures). This would add around £75 to the average UK home insurance policy.

This means, by the end of 2023, a typical UK home insurance policy is likely to rise by £103, on average, in just 2 years.

Home insurance companies will need to consider the changing landscape of the UK housing market. The ONS claim that UK homes are responsible for nearly 25% of our country’s total carbon emissions. Therefore, this will need to be reflected in companies’ underwriting and pricing strategy.

According to EY, the increased use of modular buildings and non-traditional construction methods could have future impacts on the home insurance market and prices. For example, customers may require specialised, non-standard home insurance policies for their properties, such as timber frame home insurance, to fully protect themselves.

UK home insurers are expected to make a significant loss in 2023, due to inflationary pressures and a decrease in premium rates.

Across 2022, net combined ratios (NCRs) were forecast to reach 116% for the year. This represents the worst results for the UK home insurance industry in over a decade, when NCR was 118% in 2007. We expect this to drop to 109% in 2023.

The most unprofitable peak in 15 years is driven by many factors, including:

• High rates of inflation (10.4%, as of February 2023).
• Unusually large numbers of subsidence claims (23,000 claims in 2022, a rise of 69% year-on-year).
• Bounce back in the frequency of claims after the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Reduced premiums implemented by the FCA’s price reforms in January 2022.

The UK landscape

There were an estimated 28.1 million households in the UK in 2021 – an increase of 6.3% over the last decade, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It's believed that 25% of UK homes don’t have any form of home insurance, meaning there could be as many as 7 million properties in the country currently unprotected.

The average policy cost in 2023

As of April 2023:

• The median average UK home insurance cost was £126.70 per year
• The average price for separate buildings insurance was £108.33
• The average contents insurance policy cost was £48.36.

The cost of insurance differed by house type. The median cost of home insurance for a detached house (£146.96) was around 27% higher than a terraced house (£107.37), and 23% more than a semi-detached home (£112.57).

There was significant variation in average home insurance costs by age group. Average costs for those aged 41-45 (£133.90) were around 49% higher than those aged 21-25 (£89.60).

Price changes from 2021-23

Between 2021-23, the monthly rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for UK home insurance has generally fluctuated between +1% and -1%. CPI values dropped to their lowest in April 2021 (-2.4%), yet peaked across December 2021 and January 2022, when they were +12% and +10.8%, respectively. Overall, this represents a +14% change in the CPI for UK home insurance in just 9 months in 2021.

A breakdown of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) monthly rate for UK home insurance 2023

As of February 2023, property insurance statistics show the monthly CPI rate for home insurance to be +2.7% – the first time a positive value has been recorded since October 2022.

Regional differences in the average costs

Our home insurance stats reveal that customers in Northern Ireland pay the highest home insurance costs of anywhere in the UK, with a median average cost of £185 per year. This was 46% higher than the UK average and 13% more than the next highest region in the UK (London).

Londoners continue to pay the highest prices of anywhere in England with average costs of £163.41 per year. Those in the English capital are now charged almost 29% more than the UK average to insure their property. As of 2023, London and Northern Ireland are the only two regions paying above the collective average.

A breakdown of the median average cost of UK home insurance by region (2023)

Residents in the North East were found to pay the lowest home insurance costs. The region’s median price of £96 made it the only place in the UK with average costs below £100.

Wales (£109.12) and Scotland (£110.11) were both found to have average costs at least 13% below the UK average of £126.70.

How average costs vary by the age of property in 2023

UK home insurance stats from Consumer Intelligence show that older properties continue to attract the highest prices for home insurance. Here are the combined buildings and contents policies costs for homes of different ages in February 2023::

• Victorian-era homes (those built between 1850-95): £185
• Houses built between 1950-75: £141
• Houses built after 2000: £142

A breakdown of average UK home insurance costs between different property ages

Across 2022-23, UK home insurance statistics reveal that prices dropped by 4.9% for homes built between 1910 and 1925. This is the largest decrease of all property ages over this time period. However, the largest increase was seen in homes built after 2000, with an annual rise of 1.9% between 2022-23.

In the 3 months between December 2022 and February 2023, all property age groups saw a price increase, with the 1895-1910 bracket experiencing the biggest rise (+7.4%), followed by the 1925-1940 group (+6.9%). Properties built between 1850-1895 incidentally had the smallest quarterly rise in home insurance costs, at +4.7%.

Also, it’s estimated that there are more than 60,000 thatched properties in the UK, and more than 7 in 10 (75%) of these are listed buildings. Insurers may view thatched housing as riskier than those with a standard roof due to increased fire risk and damage from birds, vermin, and weather. Therefore, specialised thatched roof home insurance is a potential solution for anyone looking to insure a property with a plant-based, roofing material.

The average costs by property in 2023

Analysing our own data, we compared a range of property types in the UK. By looking at the number of insurance policies for each property type and the cost of each policy, we ranked each property type based on the median cost of home insurance.

Of all property types in the UK, farm houses were found to have the highest home insurance costs. With a median price of £288.33 per year, this type of property cost 10% more to insure than flat basements (£204.41) - the second most expensive type of property to insure.

A breakdown of average UK home insurance costs without claims by type of property

(Source: Confused.com)

The vast majority (84%) of Confused.com home insurance customers bought a policy 2022-23 that fell into one of these categories:

• Terraced houses
• Semi-detached houses
• Detached houses.

Of these property types, detached houses had the highest home insurance costs, with median annual costs of £149.96. This figure was 33% higher than the median price for a semi-detached house (£112.57) and nearly 40% than for a terraced house (£149.96).

Self-contained flats located on the second floor or above were found to have the lowest home insurance costs in the UK, with a median cost of £54.81. Self-contained flats were found to have similarly low costs when located on the 1st floor (£57.71) and ground floor (£64.31).

The average costs by number of bedrooms in 2023

Our home insurance statistical analysis found that the cost of home insurance rises sharply as the number of bedrooms increases. These increases slow significantly at 7 bedrooms, with the cost of home insurance remaining fairly stable from this point onwards.

A breakdown of average UK home insurance costs without claims by number of bedrooms

(Source: Confused.com)

Homes with 1 bedroom had the lowest insurance costs.At £58.80, on average, this is around 35% less than 2-bedroom homes (£90.72). Similarly, homes with 2 bedrooms were found to cost around 17% less to insure than 3-bedroom properties (£109.60).

The biggest single increase was found between homes with 6 and 7 bedrooms, when median insurance costs increased by 54% from £276.94 to £427.29.

The average costs by age of customer in 2023

Our research found that those aged 41-45 pay the most for their home insurance, with a median cost of £133.92.

A breakdown of average UK home insurance costs without claims by age group

(Source: Confused.com)

Insurance costs increased steadily with every age group from 17-20 onwards, before peaking at those aged 41-45. From here, this trend reverses and prices begin to decline with every subsequent age category.

Those aged 17-20 were found to have the lowest home insurance costs, with a median rate of £78.33. This was nearly 13% less than 21-25-year-olds (£89.60), and 42% less than those aged 41-45 (£133.92).

The only age groups with median premiums below £100 per year were 17-20 and 21-25. However, this is likely to be skewed as those aged 17-25 are less likely to be homeowners, therefore are unlikely to be quoted for buildings insurance.

The biggest individual increase occurred between those aged 21-25 and 26-30-year-olds, with median costs rising 15% from £89.60 to £103.47.

Following the peak rate of £133.92 for 41-45-year-olds, prices begin to gradually drop in the older age categories. Those aged 66-70 (£110.92) pay 17% less than those aged 46-50 (£133.45). This decline continues into other categories, with those aged 81 and over paying £105.17 on average – the fourth lowest of any age group.

What factors affect policy costs?

Some of the factors that impact your home insurance costs are under your control, such as:

• The type of door locks you have
• Any security measures installed on your premises.
• How much voluntary excess you choose.

Other factors, such as the prolonged extreme weather, are sometimes unavoidable. In 2022, extreme weather events cost UK insurers somewhere in the region of £1.5 billion across all types of claims.

As the frequency and intensity of UK extreme weather events are likely to continue into the future, this could wipe out at least 1% of the UK’s GDP growth each year.

In December 2022, the House Rebuilding Costs Index stood at 19.4%, largely driven by high levels of inflation that impacts the cost of labour and materials. This will likely lead to a rise in premium rates for consumers in 2023, and have a negative impact on the profitability of UK home insurance providers.

The impact of storms on home insurance

The year 2022 was a particularly heavy year for stormy weather across the country. UK home insurance companies dealt with 170,000 claims in 2022 for property damage caused by storms Dudley, Eunice, and Franklin. This involved paying out around £473 million to affected customers.

Since the launch of the Flood Re scheme in 2016, sourcing affordable home insurance for high-risk areas has become a lot easier. Every insurer that offers home insurance in the UK must pay into the scheme. This costs companies £180 million a year to help protect those properties most at risk of flooding (providing your house was built before 1 January 2009).

The impact of subsidence on home insurance

According to home insurance stats from the ABI, UK home insurance companies expect to pay £219 million in 2023 for subsidence claims made in 2022. This represents the highest expected UK subsidence insurance bill since 2006. Heatwaves during the summer of 2022 led to an additional 18,000 subsidence claims for the year, the equivalent of 1 new claim every 15 minutes during the second half of 2022.

This was largely driven by record UK summer temperatures, which peaked at 40.3°C on 19 July 2022.

Of the 23,000 total subsidence claims made during 2022, the vast majority (78%) were made between July and December. In total, the average subsidence claim pay out in 2022 stood at £9,600.

FCA pricing reforms and the impact on UK home insurance costs

On 1 January 2022, the FCA introduced new rules on the price of UK home and car insurance. This ensures that the price paid by renewing customers is no greater than the price quoted to an equivalent new customer, for a like-for-like policy.

However, the FCA hasn't set a cap on the level of premiums paid for either new or existing customers.

In 2022, the average price to renew a combined buildings and contents home insurance policy fell by 10% (on the 2021 average price of £316), to around £285 for the year.

Claim statistics

Between July and December 2021, the claim frequency rate for UK home insurance policies remained low for both buildings-only and buildings and contents home insurance (1.54% vs 2.63%, respectively).

A breakdown of UK home insurance claim statistics for buildings-only and joint business and contents home insurance 2021

(Source: FCA)

Of those claims submitted, more than 75% were accepted for buildings and contents insurance policies, paying out a cumulative total of £3.57 million in the last 6 months of 2021. Almost 69% of buildings-only insurance claims were successful in this time period, at a cost of £4.89 million.

There were around 7 times more combined buildings and contents home insurance policies in the UK in 2021 compared to buildings-only insurance (15.1 million vs 2.17 million). But, the total value of gross net premiums written for combined home insurance was almost 10 times greater than buildings-only cover (£2.34 billion vs £241.6 million).

Overall, more than 1 in 3 (36.3%) premiums paid out for buildings-only insurance in July-December 2021 were for claims, compared to almost 2 in 5 (39.9%) for combined home insurance policies.

A breakdown of UK home insurance companies by smallest percentage of claims accepted and average claim payout (2021)

(Source: FCA)

According to the FCA, almost 1 in 4 (23%) home insurance claims were rejected by providers, with some firms refusing to pay out on almost half (45%) of cases.

This is contrasted by the latest car insurance stats, which show almost 99% of insurance claims are approved (according to FCA figures).

There’s a significant variation between UK home insurance companies as to who pays out in the event of a claim. Some companies, such as Ageas Insurance, QIC Europe, and Qmetric pay out between 55-60% of their customers’ claims. For others, such as the Haven Insurance Company and Hiscox, this figure is virtually 100%.

A breakdown of UK home insurance companies by largest percentage of claims accepted and average claim payout (2021)

(Source: FCA)

There’s a stark contrast between different UK home insurance companies in terms of payouts. Greenwood Insurance, which accepts 95-100% of claims, has an average payout of £1,000-£1,500. Hiscox Insurance Company has an identical acceptance rate for claims, yet pays out 8 times more than Greenwood, at £8,000-£8,500 on average.

AA Underwriting Insurance, on the other hand, only accepts 60-65% of claims, yet awards an average payout of around £2,000-£2,500. Ageas approves 10% less by comparison, but pays out almost double (£4,500-£5,000).

The most popular claims by region

We looked at regional home insurance data and found the top 3 most common insurance claims in each UK region between January 2022 and February 2023.

Every region had escape of water in their top 3 claims, accounting for more than 1,700 claims in the UK overall. The South East was responsible for the most buildings claims for escape of water (304), followed by London (270), and the East of England (193).

A breakdown of the most popular home insurance claims by region from January 2022 to February 2023

(Source: Confused.com)

Almost every region had buildings damaged from storms in their most common claims, with London being the only exception. Again, the South East was the region with the most claims for this type of event (179). The South West (102) and North East (101) recorded the second and third highest number of claims, respectively.

Seven out of 12 UK regions (58%) had contents theft from home claims in their top 3, with the combined claims from these 7 regions totalling 766. London had by far the highest figures for this type of claim (204), followed by the South West (114) and Yorkshire and the Humber (107).

Home burglary statistics 2022

Burglaries by country – England and Wales (2022)

Around 1.5% of UK adults reported a domestic burglary in the year ending March 2022, according to ONS figures.

A breakdown of home burglary statistics by age groups in England and Wales (2021-22)

Adults between 18-24 were most likely to be a victim of domestic burglary (3.2%) in 2022, followed by 25-34 year-olds (2.5%). The over 75s, and those aged between 35-44, were equally as likely to report a domestic break-in (both 1.5%). Residents aged 45-54 were the least likely (0.6%) victims of domestic burglary in the year ending March 2022.

A breakdown of home burglary statistics by different demographic factors in England and Wales (2021-22)

(Source: ONS)

ONS home burglary statistics reveal that those not born in the UK are almost twice as likely to be a victim of domestic burglary than those who are (2.4% vs 1.3%).

Also, single adults with children are the most likely demographic to be burgled in their home (3.1%). This is more than twice the reported figures for adults with children and adults with no children (both 1.4%).

A breakdown of home burglary statistics by housing tenure in England and Wales (2021-22)

In 2022, social renters in England and Wales were almost twice as likely to be a victim of domestic burglary than homeowners (2.1% vs 1.2%). And, 1.9% of reported burglaries for the year ending March 2022 were from those in private rentals.

A breakdown of home burglary statistics by housing type in England and Wales (2021-22)

Those in a self-contained flat, maisonette, or apartment were around 50% more likely to report a burglary compared with those living in a house or bungalow (2.2% vs 1.3%, respectively).

A breakdown of home burglary statistics by rurality in England and Wales (2022)

The ONS classifies the UK population into 8 ‘supergroups’. These groups are used to classify areas of the UK based on their:

• Population structure
• Household composition
• Type of housing
• Socio-economic characteristics
• Employment patterns

They‘re designed as a broad generalisation for the people living in those areas. In reality, there’s a degree of variability within the characteristics, and shouldn’t be taken to mean all people living there will fall under these descriptions, or indeed match all of them.

A breakdown of ONS supergroup classifications for the UK population

(Source: ONS)

Those living in urban areas of England and Wales were around 50% more likely to be burgled in their home compared to those residing in rural areas (1.6% vs 1%).

When broken down further, reported incidents of domestic burglary were highest in the ethnically central parts of urban areas (2.5%) and the multicultural metropolitan districts (2.2%). This is contrasted by those classed as suburbanites (1%) and urbanites (1.2%), who were the groups least-affected by incidents of domestic burglary in the year ending March 2022.

A breakdown of home burglary statistics by level of economic deprivation in England and Wales 2022

In 2022, those living in the 20% most-deprived Output Areas (OAs) of England were twice as likely to report a domestic burglary than those in the 20% least-deprived regions (2.2% vs 1.1%). However in Wales, this figure is closer to 10 times greater in favour of the 20% most-deprived areas (1.9% vs 0.2%).

A breakdown of home burglary statistics by regions of England and Wales 2022

Those living in London are most likely to be a victim of domestic burglary across England and Wales as 2.7% adults reported a break-in in the year ending March 2022. This is followed by Yorkshire and The Humber (2%), and Wales (1.9%).

At the other end of the scale, those living in the South East are almost 4 times less likely to be a victim of domestic burglary than residents of London. At 0.7% of adults, this makes it the least likely region of England and Wales to be impacted by domestic break-ins.

People in the East of England (1%) and North East (1.1%) also reported low numbers of domestic burglaries in the year ending March 2022.

A breakdown of home burglary statistics by police forces and regions of England and Wales 2022

Home burglary statistics for England and Wales by region (2022)

Burglary statistics reported by the ONS reveal there were more than 5.5 million crimes reported in England and Wales for the year ending September 2022. Of these, around 3.5% (or 196,000) were classified as domestic burglaries.

In total, 96% of all domestic burglaries reported in 2022 were from homes situated in England.

When broken down by region, almost 1 in 5 (19.8%) were from London properties, making it the most prevalent area for domestic burglaries in 2022 (over 38,000 reported cases). This was followed by the North West (31,595), and Yorkshire and The Humber (almost 24,000).

The region least affected by domestic burglary in 2022 was Wales. At just over 7,000 cases, this represented almost 4% of all reported incidents of home burglaries in 2022 across England and Wales. This was followed by the North East (10,338) and South West (11,594).

Home burglary statistics for England and Wales by police force (2022)

London’s Metropolitan Police dealt with more incidents of domestic burglary in 2022 than any other police force in England and Wales. At 38,769 for the year ending September 2022, this represented virtually all domestic burglaries reported in the capital last year.

This was followed by Greater Manchester Police, who dealt with over half (57%) of domestic burglaries recorded in the North West in 2022. In total, the 17,924 reported offences accounted for 4.9% of all crimes handled by the police force over the year.

In Yorkshire and The Humber, more than 2 in 5 (41%) of home burglaries were reported to West Yorkshire Police. The 9,872 recorded cases of domestic break-ins last year accounted for 3.17% of all crimes reported in 2022. By comparison, South Yorkshire Police dealt with 800 less cases of domestic burglary. Yet their figure of 8,651 represented almost 5.5% of all crimes in the area. This is the highest percentage recorded by any constabulary.

In contrast, the City of London police force recorded the lowest number of home burglaries in 2022, at just 17 for the year ending September 2022 (or 0.23% of all crimes). This was followed by Dyfed Powys in Wales (923) and Cumbria (1,046), which represented around 2% of crimes reported in 2022 to these respective police forces.

A breakdown of home burglary statistics showing the percentage change in reported residential burglaries between 2021-22 by police forces and regions of England and Wales

Most of England has seen a rise in the number of reported cases between September 2021 and September 2022. Over this 12-month period, domestic burglaries have increased by 4%, on average.

The regions that saw the largest percentage growth in reported cases of home burglaries were:

• North East (+14%)
• West Midlands (+13%)
• South West (+11%)

Only 2 regions experienced a negative percentage change in domestic burglaries between 2021-22:

• London (-7%)
• Wales (-3%)

Some police forces saw a dramatic change in the percentage of reported home break-ins in the year ending September 2022. Staffordshire Police witnessed a 36% rise in cases of domestic burglary over this period, compared to +31% in Gloucestershire. Cases also rose in Leicestershire and Cumbria by 22% and 21%, respectively.

However, some police forces saw a drop in home burglaries. The largest was in South Wales (-15%), followed by Merseyside (-11%), and the Metropolitan Police (-7%).

A breakdown of home burglary statistics showing residential burglary rate per 1,000 population and per 1,000 households by police forces and regions of England and Wales 2022

These home burglary statistics for England and Wales show that in 2022 there were an average of 3.3 domestic break-ins per 1,000 people and 7.9 per 1,000 households.

When broken down regionally, the West Midlands had the largest amount per 1,000 population (5.4), followed by London, the North West, and Yorkshire and The Humber (all 4.3 per 1,000 residents). A similar trend followed per 1,000 households, with the West Midlands coming out top (13.0), followed by London (10.9), and Yorkshire and the Humber (10.3).

At the other end of the scale, the South West had the lowest number of domestic burglaries (when averaged across the population), at 2 per 1,000 residents and 4.7 per 1,000 households. This was followed closely by the South East, East of England, and Wales (all 2.2 per 1,000 people). However, Wales had only 5.1 burglaries per 1,000 households, compared to 5.3 per 1,000 for the East of England, and 5.5 per 1,000 for the South East.

Greater Manchester Police dealt with an average of 6.3 domestic break-ins per 1,000 people in 2022 (or 15.1 per 1,000 households) – the highest of any police force in England and Wales. This was followed closely by:

• Cumbria (6.2 per 1,000 people, or 14.3 per 1,000 households).
• South Yorkshire (6.1 per 1,000 residents, or 14.4 per 1,000 households).

Some police forces in England reported remarkably low numbers of domestic burglaries in 2022, the lowest of which was Devon and Police (0.9 per 1,000 population/2.1 per 1,000 households). This was followed by Norfolk Police (1.4 home burglaries per 1,000 residents, or 3.3 per 1,000 households) and Sussex Police (1.5 per 1,000 people, or 3.5 per 1,000 households).

Burglaries by country – Scotland 2022

Police in Scotland recorded 287,678 crimes in the year ending December 2022 – a 2% decrease from the previous year (292,316), and 4% lower than 2018 (298,452).

Crimes of Dishonesty (of which housebreaking is included) saw a 10% rise in 2022 compared to the previous year, to just over 100,000 reported incidents. However, 2022 figures were 10% lower compared to the year ending December 2018, decreasing from 111,530. As of 2021-22, the national rate for Crimes of Dishonesty stood at 170 per 10,000 people – an increase from 164 per 10,000 in 2020-21.

A breakdown of home burglary statistics in Scotland between 2013 and 2022

Over the 10-year period from 2012-22, housebreaking in Scotland dropped by 61%. This included a 13% decrease from 2020-21 to 2021-22, when reported incidents of housebreaking dropped from 9,706 to 8,489.

Housebreaking across Scotland rose by 2% compared to 2021. But it was 38% lower than the year ending December 2018, when 13,777 incidents of domestic break-ins were reported.

Of the 2022 crime figures, less than 1 in 10 (9%) were attributed to housebreaking. This is the fourth highest after theft (36%), shoplifting (25%), and fraud (18%).

Also, there were 1,279 reported incidents of ‘Theft By Opening Lockfast Places’ in 2022. An 8% increase compared to 2021. However, 2022 shows a decrease of 26% when compared to 2018 figures.

This type of crime accounted for just 1% of all Scottish Crimes of Dishonesty in 2022. Between 2012-22, incidents of ‘Theft By Opening Lockfast Places’ decreased by 63% across Scotland, with relatively stable figures between 2020-22 of about 1,200 reported cases per year.

Burglaries by country – Northern Ireland 2022

In the year from March 2022 to February 2023, there were 111,332 crimes reported in Northern Ireland – an increase of almost 5,900 (+5.6%) compared to the previous 12 months.

As of 2021-22, reported cases of burglary and theft stood at 3,836. This represented 3.6% of all recorded crimes for the year, and was a 3.4% reduction compared to 2020-21.

A breakdown of home burglary statistics in Northern Ireland 2012-22

This trend highlights a gradual decline in incidents of burglary in Northern Ireland since 2002-03, when respective figures represented 13.4% of all reported crimes. Burglary offences for October-December 2022 are the lowest seen within the last decade.

After Covid-19 measures were introduced in March 2020, the decline of burglary offences in Northern Ireland was greater, and more sustained, compared to other crimes across the country.

In February 2023 alone, there were 309 recorded burglary offences – a 1.3% reduction on January 2023 figures, but a 16% rise compared to February 2022. This is in contrast to February 2013, when respective figures stood at 560 for the month, highlighting a 64% decrease across the last decade.

What our home & lifestyle insurance expert says

“The threat of burglary is one of the main fears for homeowners across the UK. Thankfully, there are several easy steps you can take that drastically reduce your level of risk.

“Basic checks like ensuring doors are locked and windows are closed may sound simplistic.But they’re among the main ways to discourage opportunistic burglars from targeting your home. Failure to do these checks could also invalidate your home insurance policy, so making sure you stay on top of your own security is essential.

“Having basic home security equipment like alarms or CCTV installed will drastically reduce the chances of a burglar successfully breaking into your property.

“Finally, though it's impossible to completely eliminate the threat of burglary, a comprehensive home insurance policy can ensure you’re covered for all eventualities. A robust policy covering both your buildings and contents ensures that you’re able to retrieve some or all of the financial damage of a burglary”

Matthew Harwood Home & Lifestyle insurance expert

Glossary of terms

Buildings insurance

Buildings insurance is a type of home insurance that provides financial protection in the event of damage to the structure of your house including the:

• Walls
• Roof
• Floors

Depending on the type of policy you have, this can be extended to fixtures and fittings.

Compound annual growth rate (CAGR)

The rate of return on an investment across the year, assuming any profits are reinvested at the end of each year back into the company/business.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

A measure used by the UK Government to judge the rate of inflation, by taking into account the average price paid for a representative basket of goods and services over a given time period.

Contents insurance

Contents insurance is a type of home insurance that covers loss or damage to anything in your home that’s not considered part of the building or structure. Your policy covers the cost of repairing or replacing those items should they become destroyed, damaged, or stolen (up to a designated value).

High-value home insurance

High-value home insurance is targeted towards individuals with more than £1 million in liquid assets, and who wish to insure expensive items within their home. This includes:

• Antiques
• Artefacts
• Artwork

Home insurance premium

A home insurance premium is the amount of money you need to pay, in order to keep your home insurance policy active during a given term (usually a year).

Mid-value home insurance

A mid-value home insurance policy is designed for those people with an above average level of wealth and/or belongings that require insurance. This is usually for those with liquid assets over £50,000, but less than £1 million.

Net combined ratio (NCR)

The net combined ratio (NCR) is a measure used to evaluate the profitability and financial health of an insurance company. It’s calculated by taking the total sum of incurred losses and expenses throughout the year, and dividing it by the amount earned through net written premiums (NWPs), expressed as a percentage. A value of less than 100% means the company is in profit, whereas a value greater than 100% indicates the company is losing money.

Net Written Premiums (NWPs)

Net written premiums (NWPs) refers to how much customers pay for their insurance policies across a given time period (usually a year). This figure is calculated by subtracting the total amount of money given up to reinsurance companies, plus any assumed reinsurance. Once calculated, this represents the amount of money an insurance company gets to keep for assuming the level of risk associated with its customers.

Frequently asked questions

How much is home insurance in the UK?

In 2022, the average cost of home insurance in the UK for the year was £300. This was down 6% from 2021 when the respective figure was just under £320 a year for a typical UK house insurance policy.

How much is home insurance a month in the UK?

The average cost of home insurance a month in the UK is about £25.

Why has UK home insurance gone up in 2022?

UK home insurance costs have gone up during 2022 for a number of reasons:

• The rise in subsidence claims (23,000 in 2022 alone).
• The increased cost of building materials and labour associated with high levels of inflation (now at 10.4%).
• A surge in frozen pipe payouts from a cold winter spell.
• Large amounts of extreme weather events (170,000 claims made in 2022 for storm property damage, to the sum of £473 million).

How much will my home insurance go up after a claim in the UK?

After you make a claim, how much your home insurance costs increase depends on the type of claim you’ve made. In January 2022, a survey published in the Independent found that home insurance customers who made a claim saw their costs increase by 57% the following year, at an average of £91 per policy.

How big is the UK home insurance market?

As of 2023, the UK home insurance market is worth around £4.2 billion, with a forecasted compound annual growth rate of +3.5%. However, between 2018-23, the UK home insurance market size actually decreased, by an average of 1.6% per year.

What percentage of people in the UK have home insurance?

As of 2023, there were around 34.76 million home insurance policies in the UK, accounting for about 75% of UK homes.

How many people don't have home insurance in the UK?

Within the home insurance industry, it’s believed that a quarter of UK homes (or up to 7 million properties) don’t have any form of home insurance.

Sources and methodology

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