A new study commissioned by Nordic insurer Gjensidige has found that despite burglary rates increasing in Denmark, more than half of Danes have not taken any additional steps to protect their homes.
According to Statistics Denmark, residential burglaries increased by 9% between 2024 and 2025. The upward trend has continued into 2026, with 3,931 burglaries recorded during the first quarter, compared with 3,705 during the same period a year earlier.
As Gjensidige’s study, which was undertaken by YouGov, found, 53% of Danish households had not introduced any additional burglary prevention measures over the previous 12 months.
Among those who had taken action, 15% said their home was already sufficiently protected, while 11% had installed surveillance systems and a further 11% had arranged for neighbours to keep an eye on their property. Some 10% had increased outdoor lighting, 7% had installed an alarm system and 4% had upgraded door locks.
‘Simple measures’
“You don’t need to invest in advanced solutions to reduce the risk of burglary,” commented Lene Rasmussen, claims director at Gjensidige.
“Often it’s the simple measures that make the difference. Prevention is the best protection against both financial losses and the insecurity that a burglary can create.”
Neighbourhood cooperation
According to Gjensidige, many burglary prevention measures are straightforward and inexpensive – as it noted, ‘it’s the little everyday habits that make the difference’. It also pointed to neighbourhood cooperation as an effective deterrent, encouraging neighbours to monitor each other’s homes, particularly during summer holiday periods.
“Technical solutions such as alarms can be helpful, but good neighborliness is at least as important. When neighbors keep an eye on each other’s homes, it creates extra security and can help prevent burglaries,” Rasmussen added.
The research was carried out in April 2026 among 1,036 adults aged 18 and over, with participants representing a cross-section of the Danish population. Read more here.
