Germany sees rise in home burglaries to 82,920 in 2025

In 2025 Germany recorded 82,920 residential burglaries, a 5.7 % increase from the previous year. Professional thieves are increasingly able to bypass common DIY hiding spots such as picture frames, flower pots and book decoys, rendering many household safekeeping methods ineffective.

The Bundesbank reports that Germans keep an average of €1,364 in cash at home, while typical household insurance covers only €1,000‑€2,000. From summer 2027 the EU money‑laundering regulation will limit cash payments above €10,000, which may further affect private cash storage practices.

Recent incidents illustrate the tactics used: a perpetrator in Hamm posed as a police officer to deceive a senior resident, stealing low‑four‑digit‑value jewelry; in Minden‑Häverstädt thieves feigned injury to gain entry and pilfer a jewellery box. Organized groups have also targeted safe‑deposit boxes, breaking into 29 lockers at a Mönchengladbach bank and seizing valuables worth up to €230,000 in Wilhelmshaven. Security firms such as Verisure are promoting new technologies, including smoke‑barrier alarms, as alternatives to physical hiding places.