In 2025, a total of 2100 cases of burglary and sneak-in theft were reported to police in the canton of Basel-Stadt (Figure 1). The clearance rate for these offences was 20.9 percent, which is notably low and typical for this crime category. The vast majority of reported incidents, 1715 cases, were completed offences, while 385 were recorded as attempted.

Victims of these thefts were predominantly male, accounting for 54.1 percent of recorded victims where gender was known, compared to 45.9 percent female (Figure 2). Where nationality was recorded, 65.2 percent of victims were Swiss nationals and 34.8 percent were foreign nationals. The age distribution of victims shows that individuals aged 30–39 were the most frequently affected group, followed by those aged 40–49 and 50–59 (Figure 4). A significant portion of victims, 670, were recorded as legal entities such as businesses or organisations.

The suspect profile shows a pronounced gender disparity, with men comprising 90.8 percent of all suspects where gender was recorded (Figure 3). In terms of nationality, 74.1 percent of suspects with a recorded nationality were foreign nationals, compared to 25.9 percent who were Swiss. Suspects were concentrated in younger age groups, with the 18–29 and 30–39 cohorts being the most represented (Figure 5).

Two notable observations emerge from the data. First, there is a stark contrast in the nationality profiles of victims and suspects; while most recorded victims were Swiss, nearly three-quarters of suspects with a known nationality were foreign nationals. Second, the clearance rate of 20.9 percent underscores the investigative challenges inherent to these offences, where a large majority of cases remain unsolved.