The number of armed robberies in the Netherlands has fallen sharply in recent years, but there has been a shift from attacks on shops to attacks on private homes, broadcaster NOS said on Wednesday.

The figures come from a report on tackling armed robberies by criminologists Cyrille Fijnaut and Ben Rovers. The report shows that homes were rarely a target in the 1990s but four in 10 armed robberies in 2014 took place on private houses.

The researchers say they fear a further increase because record low interest rates mean many people are now keeping cash in a safe at home rather than in banks.

In May, justice minister Ard van der Steur announced a 60% drop in the number of armed robberies – from eight to three a day. On in three are never solved.