Burglaries have been on the rise in France in recent months, especially in rural areas and now figures have been released that reveal the worst affected towns and cities.

Top of the burglary league table comes the town of Agde, on the Mediterranean coast.

Agde is famous for being the port of the Canal du Midi, as well as for its seaside resort at Cap d’Agde, which is home to one of France’s most well-known nudist beaches.

But after the country’s national crime observatory released its latest stats this week, Agde is now also synonymous with break-ins.

According to the data 18.6 residents per 1,000  are burgled in Agde every year. That puts the town well above the national average of 6.4 break-ins per 1,000 inhabitants.

In second place on the podium of most burgled towns was Aussillon in the Tarn department of southern France and in bronze medal position came Manosque in the Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence.

Overall the observatory said there were 373,000 break-ins in 2013, that reflects a 20 percent increase on the number recorded in 2008.

Half of those break-ins were on main residences, with 44 percent targeting businesses and 6 percent second homes.

Overall it seems the rural south of France is the worst affected with the southern department of Bouches-du-Rhône (10/1000) the most affected , followed by the Drôme (9/1000), the Rhône (8.8/1000), Haute-Garonne, l'Hérault (8.4/1000), Vaucluse (8.2/1000), Alpes-Maritimes and Tarn-et-Garonne (8.1/1000), Isère and Loire-Atlantique (8/1000).

These latest figures come after separate data released in January, showed how burglars were targeting holiday homes in France.

Break-ins at second homes saw a 10 percent rise in towns and a 17 percent hike in rural areas in 2013, according to results from the National observatory of crime and criminal liability (ONDRP).

Here's the top 30 most burgled towns:

• N°1 Agde
• N°2 Aussillon
• N°3 Manosque
• N°4 Mazamet
• N°5 Aix-en-Provence
• N°6 Benerville-sur-Mer
• N°7 Deauville
• N°8 Saint-Arnoult
• N°9 Tourgéville
• N°10 Trouville-sur-Mer
• N°11 Blonville-sur-Mer
• N°12 Touques
• N°13 Bourg-lès-Valence
• N°14 Valence
• N°15 Portes-lès-Valence
• N°16 Nîmes
• N°17 Fos-sur-Mer
• N°18 Martigues
• N°19 Châteauneuf-les-Martigues
• N°20 Port-de-Bouc
• N°21 Carcassonne
• N°22 Aubagne
• N°23 La Penne-sur-Huveaune
• N°24 Vitrolles
• N°25 Les Pennes-Mirabeau
• N°26 Cabriès
• N°27 Avignon
• N°28 Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
• N°29 Les Angles (Gard)
• N°30 Fontaine