New data from technology company Quadient has revealed the total value of parcels stolen across the UK rose to £376.6m (US$473.4m) in the last year, with the average stolen parcel value rising 52% from £66.50 (US$83.60) in 2023 to £102 (US$128.20) in 2024.
The data, which was made public today (November 26) following a series of freedom of information (FOI) requests to UK police forces, also found that people in blocks of flats are 24% more likely to be victims of parcel theft than those living in a house, suggesting thieves are capitalizing on opportunities to steal multiple parcels in one go from communal areas.
Supporting consumer research shows 13% of UK households – at least 3.69 million homes – had at least one parcel stolen in the last year. This represents a 568,000 year-on-year increase in households suffering from parcel theft. But with the consumer research also showing that only one in 333 thefts are reported to the police, it’s clear the police FOI data merely shows the tip of the UK’s parcel theft iceberg, according to Quadient.
“No home is immune to the plague of parcel theft, and as higher value items are being stolen, the UK public needs to be especially vigilant over the holidays,” said Katia Bourgeais-Crémel, director of lockers automation Europe at Quadient.
Flats are now prime targets for porch pirates as they use minimum effort for maximum profit, swiping multiple items at once. This being said, lower resident footfall around houses means they are attractive to opportunistic thieves. More needs to be done to cut off porch piracy’s air supply than ever.”
Data differences
The FOI also uncovered some huge variations in reports of parcel theft across different regions:
- The average value of a stolen parcel varied greatly across the UK, from as high as £202.20 (US$254.19) in Northumbria, to £4.24 (US$5.33) in Derbyshire.
- Bedfordshire reported the highest number of thefts (701), while interestingly, the City of London Police received no reports of parcel theft from its 8,600 residents.
- Quadient consumer research found people living in Greater London are the most likely to be victims of porch piracy, as almost one in five (19%) of Londoners have had a parcel stolen in the last 12 months.
- The areas least likely to have a parcel stolen were Norwich (just 3% of residents said they had been a victim), Newcastle (5%) and Brighton (5%).
“The UK’s parcel theft problem is everywhere, and the data shows porch pirates are stopping at nothing to make a profit, targeting everywhere from prisons to nurseries,” added Bourgeais-Crémel. “With the economy for parcel theft booming, the cost of lost items is being passed on to the consumer.”
Parcel locker solution
“Retailers and carriers must continue working together to reduce the opportunities for parcel theft, from communicating more clearly with customers, to offering services like parcel lockers for convenient and safe pickups and drop offs,” Bourgeais-Crémel continued.
“With every police force reporting most incidents take place during the daytime, parcel lockers can help to reduce theft during peak times, allowing more people to pick up parcels after work, or before taking their kids to school.
“By introducing lockers, businesses and customers can reverse the porch piracy pandemic and free up police time, allowing local police forces to redirect resources and strengthen bonds between communities.”
About the report
Data in the 2024 Parcel Theft Report is based on FOI requests of the UK’s 45 territorial police forces. This data is based on the responses from 21 forces, representing a population of 23,920,200 people.
Data for the total parcel theft cost was obtained from a survey conducted in September 2024 by market research firm Opinium that questioned 2,000 UK consumers.
Download the 2024 Parcel Theft Report here.