Housing security is one of the most important factors for a place of residence. The Spanish Insurance Business Association (UNESPA) conducted a study of the number of thefts in insured Spanish homes, identifying 3 leaders among the country's major cities in the number of such incidents.
These are Granada, Pontevedra and Ciudad Real. The number of burglaries is significantly higher than the national average. Ceuta, Aviles and Lorca have the lowest theft rate. The analysis of the UNESPA was based on the data of the real estate company Idealista, collected in 101 Spanish cities with a population of 75,000 people.
The report "Burglaries in Insured Homes in Spain" took into account places with both high and low burglary rates, high and low crime levels, and compared the data with national figures. The study also states: "The probability of burglary in insured homes is derived from the ratio between the total number of thefts reported by the insurance company and the number of insured homes. The final indicator allows us to find out in which territory of Spain a crime with such characteristics is most likely to be committed."
The analysis, of course, assessed the situation not only by cities, but also by provinces of the country. The Mediterranean coast and, in general, the southern half of the country have been the scene of many similar crimes. The most affected territories are Badajoz, Granada, Valencia and Almeria. The less criminogenic regions are the Cantabrian coast and the interior of Spain, as well as Soria, Lugo, Asturias and Ourense.
This situation on the Mediterranean coast and in the southern regions is natural, given that these are key tourist destinations and the main areas of the country to attract wealthy, especially foreign, buyers. Criminals have many opportunities with high returns at low risks.
House burglaries are common in major cities of Spain
As cities with a population of 75,000 expand, the results of the analysis become more heterogeneous. There were enough cities with large populations, but it was Granada, Pontevedra and Ciudad Real that became leaders at the national level. They have a burglary rate of 89.14%, 88.38% and 85.05%, respectively.
The ten most criminogenic cities are Extremadura of Caceres (70.03%) and Badajoz (55.43%), as well as the autonomous city of Melilla (54.70%). In addition, the cities with a theft rate of less than 50% include Almeria (47.06%), Posuelo de Alarcon (42.43%), Valencia (38.47%) and Cartagena (22.57%).
On the other hand, the cities with the lowest level of domestic theft are Ceuta (-63.56%), Aviles (-59.83%), Lorca (-56.28%) and San Cristobal de la Laguna (-56.28%).
The reason is that only with a certain population growth, criminogenicity can be associated with the volume of the population. However, the larger the city becomes, the wider its market is. The more diverse the population is, the more other reasons affect the statistics. More expensive houses in the regions begin to destroy any correlation.
So, in the leading cities in the number of thefts, the cost per square meter of real estate on average ranges from €1,145 to €1,930. At the same time, such cities with low crime rates as Lorca and Aviles sell real estate in almost the same range – from €1,010 to €1,810 per square meter. Thus, even the pure price range, the high value of local real estate, cannot demonstrate a clear connection with the number of burglaries.