In the mid-1990s, 100,000 cars were stolen every year, in 2021 there will only be around 9,800 - fewer than ever before. Every fifth theft occurs in the capital, significantly fewer in southern Germany. Criminals are particularly targeting one model series.
Criminals stole fewer cars in Germany last year than ever before. In 2021, for the first time since statistics began, there were fewer than 10,000 car thefts in Germany, according to the General Association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV). Accordingly, 9805 cars were stolen - eight percent less than in the previous year.
According to the findings of German insurers, the number of car thefts has fallen to a record low since statistics began to be recorded. In the mid-1990s, insurers would still have recorded around 100,000 thefts per year. However, criminals would have a much harder time today due to technical developments such as the immobilizer or improved law enforcement and border security.
However, the damage caused by theft remains high. On average, insurers paid around 19,100 euros for each stolen car last year. The total damage amounts to 187 million euros.
Berlin continues to have the strongest attraction for car thieves. 2,200 cars with comprehensive insurance were stolen there, which was about every fifth theft in Germany. In relation to the number of inhabitants, ten times as many cars were stolen in the capital as on average in the entire federal territory. According to the GDV, this caused economic damage of over 47.5 million euros.
According to the police, the reason for the many acts in Berlin is the proximity and the fast motorway connections to Eastern Europe, where many cars disappear to be sold in whole or in parts. According to the police, car theft is dominated by specialized gangs from Eastern Europe.
In Berlin, there were 2.2 thefts for every 1,000 cars with comprehensive insurance. In Hamburg, the rate was 1.1. The national average was only 0.2 stolen cars per 1000. The risk of theft was even lower in southern Germany: in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg the rate was 0.1, as in previous years.
The car thieves most often stole SUVs, i.e. large and expensive off-road vehicles. Nine of the ten most stolen models were SUVs, including three Land Rover models. Because the GDV only records cars with insurance against theft, the actual police figures are slightly higher. However, the relationships between the cities and federal states are the same.
