Vehicle Theft Rate by Country (per 100,000 People): Global Comparison, 2025 Edition
Motor Vehicle Theft Rates: Latest Reported Country Data
Updated: April 27, 2026
The table compares reported motor vehicle theft across countries and territories using a population-normalised rate: cases per 100,000 people. The ranking is a 2025 edition based on the latest reported reference year available for each entry, not a claim that every country has a 2025 crime record.
Reported theft rates are shaped by both real theft activity and measurement factors such as reporting behaviour, legal definitions, counting rules, insurance incentives and enforcement priorities. The figures are best used for comparison and follow-up research, not as a final measure of personal vehicle risk.
How to read the ranking
- Rates can differ sharply between countries, reflecting both theft pressure and the consistency of incident recording.
- Very high values can reflect concentrated theft hotspots, strong reporting and recording, a high vehicle ownership base, or a broader offence definition.
- Low values can mean lower theft intensity, but can also reflect under-reporting or narrow legal classification.
- Using “per 100,000 people” supports cross-country comparison, but it is not the same as “per 100,000 vehicles”.
- For practical use, compare this metric with vehicle ownership, urban concentration, insurance reporting rules, recovery rates and clearance rates.
Data summary
Table 1 — Highest reported motor vehicle theft rates
Ranked by reported cases per 100,000 population. The reference year is shown because the dataset mixes recent and older observations.
| Rank | Country | Theft rate (per 100,000) | Year |
|---|
Top 20 by reported theft rate
Full ranking: Top 100 by reported motor vehicle theft rate
Countries and territories are ordered by reported motor vehicle theft rate, measured as cases per 100,000 people. The reference year is shown because the source table combines recent and older observations.
| Rank | Country / territory | Theft rate (per 100,000) | Year |
|---|
Lowest reported values in the same dataset
The entries below have the lowest reported values in the same source table. Low or zero values should be interpreted carefully because they may reflect lower theft intensity, under-reporting, older reference years or narrower legal definitions.
| Rank | Country / territory | Theft rate (per 100,000) | Year |
|---|
Why this metric matters
- Household risk planning: theft pressure influences parking choices, vehicle security upgrades, and behavioural precautions.
- Insurance pricing signals: theft intensity is often reflected in premiums, deductibles, and underwriting rules for specific vehicle types.
- Fleet operations: delivery vans and service vehicles are exposed differently depending on stop frequency, dwell time, and storage practices.
- Urban safety strategy: hotspots often cluster around transport nodes, poorly lit corridors, and high-turnover parking zones.
Data caveats
- Definitions differ: “motor vehicle theft” may include broader categories in some systems, while others split offences (e.g., private car theft vs. other vehicles).
- Counting rules differ: incident-based vs. victim-based recording, attempted theft inclusion, and reclassification can shift the rate.
- Reporting behaviour differs: insurance requirements and trust in policing can raise reporting even if underlying theft pressure is stable.
- Population-based normalisation: per-population rates are comparable across countries, but do not adjust for ownership levels or vehicle stock.
For stronger interpretation, compare these rates with vehicle ownership, urban concentration, insurance reporting rules and vehicle recovery data. Differences in measurement can be as important as differences in theft behaviour.
Methodology
The ranking sorts countries and territories by the reported motor vehicle theft rate, measured as cases per 100,000 population. Values are used as listed in the source table; no gap-filling or trend interpolation is applied. Where the table contains different reference years across countries, the year is retained for each entry and should be read alongside the rate.
Because the dataset combines observations from different years, this is a 2025 edition rather than a pure 2025 measurement. It is designed for cross-country comparison, not for estimating a current insurance premium or personal theft probability in a specific city.
Useful companion indicators
Sources and data notes
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Motor vehicle thefts by country — compiled reference table
Used as a structured reference extract because it presents country-by-country rates and reference years in one table. Treat it as a compiled reference table, not as a replacement for original national or UNODC records.
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UNODC Data Portal (crime and criminal justice statistics)
Primary international portal for crime and criminal justice statistics. Use it to check country definitions, reporting practices and official series in more detail.
