July is high season for burglars – these cities have the highest burglary rates
According to Pohjola Insurance's statistics, July is a prime time for burglars. Burglaries occur most frequently in big cities.
In Finland, break-ins occur fairly regularly all year round, but burglars are particularly active during the summer holidays.
"According to our statistics, break-ins are nearly 40 per cent more frequent in July than the rest of the year. Burglars take advantage of the month when many people in Finland leave their homes empty to travel or spend time at their holiday homes," says Mikko Filppula, Director, Property Insurance Claims Settlement at Pohjola Insurance.
Most of the burglaries carried out over the year target warehouses and storage spaces, but in the summer, the focus turns to residential facilities.
"This is probably because in the summer, thieves are attracted to empty homes and apartments and the valuable movable property in them. At other times of the year, they are more interested in the storage cages and bike storage facilities of apartment buildings," says Filppula.
Tens of thousands of euros in costs from break-ins
According to Pohjola Insurance's statistics, break-ins are most common in large population centres, and by far the most frequent in Helsinki.
"Where there are more people, there are usually more incidents as well. In addition to Helsinki, the list is topped by Vantaa and Tampere," says Filppula.
The average insurance compensation for burglary has increased steadily throughout the 2020s. In 2024, it was around €2,000. In the most serious cases, compensation can amount to tens of thousands of euros, especially if the burglary involves vandalism.
"In addition to causing material losses, a break-in rattles your sense of security. I wouldn't wish that on anyone," says Filppula.
Filppula encourages people to follow preventive measures before holiday travel. Among other things, this means locking the doors and windows and ensuring the home also looks lived in during your absence.
"A home alarm system can also give you peace of mind and be useful if worse comes to worst. If the alarm system helps reduce damage in the event of burglary, no deductible will be subtracted from the insurance compensation."
How to protect your home during a holiday trip
- Lock all doors and windows when leaving home. Use security locks on doors or double-lock the door if possible.
- Ensure your home looks lived in. Ask your neighbour, friend or other acquaintance to empty the letterbox or mow the lawn if you are absent for a longer period.
- Never hide the spare key in the yard or nearby. Get a combination lock box for the spare key or give the key to a reliable acquaintance for safekeeping.
- Do not leave valuables in sight or easily accessible.
Media enquiries:
OP Financial Group Corporate Communications, tel. 010 252 8719, viestinta@op.fi
Pohjola Insurance is Finland’s leading non-life insurer with a total of 2.5 million private and corporate customers. It provides an extensive range of non-life insurance services to private, corporate and institutional clients. Pohjola Insurance is part of OP Financial Group which is Finland's largest financial services group.