Report: Vehicle theft on the rise globally, Romania among least affected countries

Vehicle theft is on the rise around the world, a cause of concern for car owners everywhere, according to a new study by Compare the Market Australia. However, Romania is among the least affected countries, with few stolen cars relative to the total population.

Vehicle thefts leave a lasting impact not just on the direct victim, the owner of the stolen car, but also on the insurance market in a given country. If a particular area has more car thefts than others, then prices for car insurance customers in that neighborhood can increase. If there is a particular model or brand of car that gets stolen more than others, then that data can lead to higher premiums for customers with the same make and model, according to the report.

The country with the highest rate of vehicle theft according to our findings is the United States, with 295.50 stolen cars per 100,000 people in 2023. The US is also the country with the highest total thefts annually, as more than 1,000,000 cars were stolen in the same time period. In terms of states, Colorado is the most common area for vehicle theft incidents, with 731 stolen cars reported per 100,000 people in 2023.

Australia is close behind in second place, with 252.29 reported stolen cars per 100,000 residents in 2023. Italy ranks third for stolen cars, with 221.90 recorded incidents per 100,000 people over the course of a year. France is fourth with 210.78 thefts per 100k residents, while Greece rounds out the top five countries with 148.25.

Statistically, Hungary was the safest country, registering only 5.80 per 100,000 people (as of 2021). With a population of 9,676,135, only 561 thefts were reported over a year-long period.

According to 2021 data, Romania registered only 1,190 stolen cars, a relatively low number compared to a population of over 19 million. With 6.26 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants, Romania is among the safest countries in Europe for car owners.

Different parts of the world tend to prefer different manufacturers of cars, so the models being stolen can vary from country to country. The most stolen cars in Australia are from the Holden brand, with 5,539 thefts from the manufacturer recorded in 2021. In the US, the Hyundai Elantra was the most targeted model, with 48,445 reported thefts in 2023, followed by the Hyundai Sonata with 42,813 incidents.

The Ford Fiesta was the most likely car to be stolen in the UK in 2024, with 4,446 thefts reported across the country over the course of the year.

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