In 2023, the number of car thefts in Australia has continued to rise. 

We surveyed 1,003 Australians aged 18 years and over to find out about Australians’ experiences and beliefs towards car theft in our latest survey. 

We also compared these results to our Car Theft Survey and Statistics 2022 to understand trends from the previous year when a similar survey was conducted. 

For insight into what Australians think about car theft, check out our survey results below.

Quick Stats

  • Nearly 25% of Australians surveyed had their belongings stolen from their car.
  • Of the Australians surveyed, 44% had their car, belongings or both stolen by someone breaking a window or breaking in through a door to gain entry.
  • More than 45% of Australians surveyed did not make a claim after their theft event, or if they did submit a claim, it wasn’t accepted.

Car Thefts in Australia

In 2022, Australian police recorded 55,037 victims of car theft, an increase of 11% from 2021. [1]

By State or Territory
By Location^

Location

Percentage of Car Thefts

Australian Capital Territory 

2.15%

New South Wales 

18.00%

Northern Territory 

1.82%

Queensland 

33.06% 

South Australia 

6.56%

Tasmania 

2.73%

Victoria 

23.47%

Western Australia 

12.21%

According to the ABS, the number of car thefts in Queensland increased by 25% since 2021. [1]

Location 

Percentage of Car Thefts 

Residential land/outbuilding

56.52%

Educational   

0.27%

Transport (including car parks and transport vehicles)

5.73%

Open spaces   

0.67%

Street/footpath 

22.54%

Other community locations 

0.41%

Administrative/professional 

2.35%

Retail (including service stations) 

4.68%

Recreational 

1.23%

Other(s)

3.74%

^The figures in this table add up to 98.14%. The remaining 1.86% are car theft victims whose locations weren’t identified.

More than half of the stolen cars were taken from residential land or an outbuilding (including a shed or barn) that belongs to a main building, such as a house or a farm.

Car Theft Survey Results^

Have you ever had a car stolen and/or belongings stolen from a car you owned?

Australia
Gender
Age
State
Trends Over Time
 

Female

Male

Yes, I’ve had both stolen  

6.56%

9.69%

Yes, I’ve had belongings stolen from my car

23.55%

25.36%

Yes, I’ve had a car stolen

5.21%

4.74%

No, neither 

64.67%

60.21%

 

18-27

28-37

38-47

48-57

58-67

68-75

Yes, I’ve had both stolen  

7.19%

7.04%

6.34%

9.34%

13.58%

3.92%

Yes, I’ve had belongings stolen from my car

19.42%

26.29%

27.32%

25.82%

19.75%

26.47%

Yes, I’ve had a car stolen

3.60%

0.94%

4.39%

5.49%

7.41%

11.76%

No, neither 

69.78%

65.73%

61.95%

59.34%

59.26%

57.84%

 

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Yes, I’ve had both stolen  

8.33%

10.26%

6.19%

7.69%

8.22%

Yes, I’ve had belongings stolen from my car

22.33%

24.18%

23.81%

30.77%

27.40%

Yes, I’ve had a car stolen

5.00%

6.59%

3.33%

3.85%

5.48%

No, neither 

64.33%

58.97%

66.67%

57.69%

58.90%

 

2022

2023

Yes, I’ve had both stolen  

5.20%

8.08%

Yes, I’ve had belongings stolen from my car

18.20%

24.43%

Yes, I’ve had a car stolen

7.40%

4.99%

No, neither 

69.10%

62.51%

^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%

Nearly 25% of Australians surveyed had their belongings stolen from their car. 

More than 30% of Western Australians surveyed had their belongings stolen. 

There was a 6.23% increase in the number of Australian respondents who had their belongings stolen from their car since 2022. [2]

Which methods do you think car thieves are most likely to use to steal a car?

Australia
Gender
Age
State
Car Theft History
Trends Over Time
 

Female  

Male  

Hot-wiring 

42.47%

32.37%

Stealing spare keys from the owner’s home

33.20%

41.65%

Car-jacking 

20.85%

20.41%

Finding dropped/lost keys in a public area 

3.47%

5.57%

 

18-27

28-37

38-47

48-57

58-67

68-75

Hot-wiring 

37.41%

30.05%

40.00%

45.05%

38.89%

33.33%

Stealing spare keys from the owner’s home

24.46%

41.78%

36.59%

32.42%

40.12%

50.98%

Car-jacking 

29.50%

21.60%

18.54%

19.78%

19.14%

14.71%

Finding dropped/lost keys in a public area 

8.63%

6.57%

4.88%

2.75%

1.85%

0.98%

 

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Hot-wiring 

47.00%

35.53%

23.81%

34.62%

49.32%

Stealing spare keys from the owner’s home

29.00%

32.60%

57.14%

37.50%

36.99%

Car-jacking 

19.33%

25.64%

16.67%

23.08%

12.33%

Finding dropped/lost keys in a public area 

4.67%

6.23%

2.38%

4.81%

1.37%

 

Yes, I’ve had both stolen. 

Yes, I’ve had belongings stolen from my car 

Yes, I’ve had a car stolen

No, neither

Hot-wiring 

56.00%

35.00%

70.00%

34.00%

Stealing spare keys from the owner’s home

37.00%

40.00%

20.00%

37.00%

Car-jacking

7.00%

19.00%

10.00%

24.00%

Finding dropped/lost keys in a public area 

0.00%

6.00%

0.00%

5.00%

 

2022

2023

Hot-wiring 

40.70%

37.59%

Stealing spare keys from the owner’s home

40.40%

37.29%

Car-jacking 

13.80%

20.64%

Finding dropped/lost keys in a public area 

5.10%

4.49%

^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%

Nearly 40% of Australians surveyed think that thieves are most likely to steal a car by hot-wiring. 

Almost two-thirds of Queenslanders surveyed think that thieves are most likely to steal spare keys from the owner’s home to steal their car. 

The majority of surveyed Australians (70%) who had their car stolen, believe that thieves were more likely to ‘hotwire’ their car before stealing it. Whereas 40% of respondents (who had their belongings stolen) thought that thieves were most likely to steal spare keys from the car owner’s home.  

Nearly a quarter of respondents who hadn’t had their car or belongings stolen thought that car-jacking was most likely the method of theft. 

In 2022, the majority of Australians thought their car was stolen using hot-wiring or using spare keys stolen from their home. This trend has continued in 2023. [2]

When your car/belongings were stolen, how did the thief gain access to your car?*

Australia
Gender
Age
State
Car Theft History
Trends Over Time
 

Female  

Male  

They broke a window/door to gain entry 

37.16%

50.26%

They picked the lock 

38.80%

28.50%

It was unlocked - they opened the door 

14.00%

13.00%

They stole the keys 

3.83%

5.18%

Other

6.01%

3.11%

 

18-27

28-37

38-47

48-57

58-67

68-75

They broke a window/door to gain entry 

38.10%

41.10%

42.31%

36.49%

51.52%

58.14%

They picked the lock 

42.86%

28.77%

30.77%

37.84%

34.85%

27.91%

It was unlocked - they opened the door 

10.00%

22.00%

15.00%

18.00%

5.00%

7.00%

They stole the keys 

7.14%

6.85%

5.13%

1.35%

4.55%

2.33%

Other

2.38%

1.37%

6.41%

6.76%

4.55%

4.65%

 

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

They broke a window/door to gain entry 

42.99%

34.82%

44.29%

72.73%

33.33%

They picked the lock 

35.51%

46.43%

28.57%

9.09%

30.00%

It was unlocked - they opened the door 

14.00%

13.00%

16.00%

9.00%

13.00%

They stole the keys 

3.74%

3.57%

10.00%

2.27%

3.33%

Other

3.74%

2.68%

1.43%

6.82%

20.00%

 

Yes, I’ve had both stolen. 

Yes, I’ve had belongings stolen from my car 

Yes, I’ve had a car stolen

They broke a window/door to gain entry 

55.00%

44.00%

26.00%

They picked the lock 

33.00%

29.00%

56.00%

It was unlocked - they opened the door 

6.00%

19.00%

0.00%

They stole the keys 

5.00%

3.00%

10.00%

Other

1.00%

5.00%

8.00%

 

2022

2023

They broke a window/door to gain entry 

42.10%

43.88%

They picked the lock 

33.20%

33.51%

It was unlocked - they opened the door 

12.50%

13.56%

They stole the keys 

5.90%

4.52%

Other

6.30%

4.52%

*Only participants who had a car stolen, belongings from their car stolen or a car and their belongings stolen answered this question.

^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%

More than 2 in 5 Australians surveyed had their car, belongings or both stolen by someone breaking a window or breaking in through a door to gain entry.  While over a third of Australians had their lock picked so the thief could gain access to the vehicle.  

More than 50% of male participants had broken windows or doors when their car, belongings or both were stolen. 

The majority of Western Australian (70%) participants had their car, belongings or both stolen by someone breaking a window or breaking in through a door to gain entry. 

Half of the participants who had their cars stolen had their lock picked, while 44% of respondents had their belongings stolen via a broken window or door to gain entry.

What year was the theft-affected car manufactured?*

Australia
Gender
Age
State
Car Theft History
Trends Over Time
 

Female  

Male  

1980s

18.03%

20.73%

1990s

26.78%

20.21%

2000s

21.86%

34.72%

2010s

27.32%

21.24%

2020s

6.01%

3.11%

 

18-27

28-37

38-47

48-57

58-67

68-75

1980s

4.76%

4.11%

10.26%

20.27%

39.39%

44.19%

1990s

2.38%

13.70%

26.92%

28.38%

28.79%

37.21%

2000s

45.24%

26.03%

39.74%

28.38%

18.18%

11.63%

2010s

38.10%

46.58%

19.23%

21.62%

10.61%

6.98%

2020s

9.52%

9.59%

3.85%

1.35%

3.03%

0.00%

 

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

1980s

18.69%

24.11%

20.00%

6.82%

26.67%

1990s

27.10%

23.21%

25.71%

13.64%

13.33%

2000s

29.91%

25.89%

22.86%

34.09%

33.33%

2010s

20.56%

20.54%

27.14%

40.91%

26.67%

2020s

3.74%

6.25%

4.29%

4.55%

0.00%

 

Yes, I’ve had both stolen. 

Yes, I’ve had belongings stolen from my car 

Yes, I’ve had a car stolen

1980s

20.00%

16.00%

36.00%

1990s

22.00%

21.00%

36.00%

2000s

35.00%

28.00%

18.00%

2010s

19.00%

30.00%

8.00%

2020s

4.00%

5.00%

2.00%

 

2022

2023

1980s

22.90%

19.41%

1990s

24.00%

23.40%

2000s

23.20%

28.46%

2010s

16.20%

24.20%

2020s

1.80%

4.52%

*Only participants who had a car stolen, belongings from their car stolen or a car and their belongings stolen answered this question.

^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%

Nearly a third of Australians surveyed owned cars manufactured in the 2000s.

Over 45% of 28-37-year-old participants owned cars manufactured in the 2010s. 

More than 2 in 5 Western Australians owned cars manufactured in the 2010s. 

More than 70% of respondents who had a car stolen owned a car manufactured in the 1980s and 1990s.

Did car insurance cover your theft event?*

Australia
Gender
Age
State
Car Theft History
Trends Over Time
 

Yes, I’ve had both stolen. 

Yes, I’ve had belongings stolen from my car

Yes, I’ve had a car stolen

Yes

68.00%

29.00%

64.00%

No, I didn’t make a claim or it wasn’t accepted. 

22.00%

59.00%

18.00%

No, I didn’t have car insurance cover 

10.00%

12.00%

18.00%

 

2022

2023

Yes

39.10%

42.02%

No, I didn’t make a claim or it wasn’t accepted. 

41.70%

45.48%

No, I didn’t have car insurance cover 

19.20%

12.50%

*Only participants who had a car stolen, belongings from their car stolen or a car and their belongings stolen answered this question.

^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%

More than 45% of Australians surveyed didn’t make a claim after their theft event, or if they did submit a claim, it wasn’t accepted. 

Nearly 60% of Western Australian participants didn’t make a claim, or their claim wasn’t accepted.  

The majority of respondents (70%) who had both their car and belongings stolen were covered by car insurance, compared to only a third of respondents who had their belongings stolen.  

In 2023, the number of respondents who had car insurance only increased by 3% from 2022. [2]

Did you recover the vehicle/belongings stolen?*

Australia
Gender
Age
State
Car Theft History
Trends Over Time
 

Yes, I’ve had both stolen. 

Yes, I’ve had belongings stolen from my car

Yes, I’ve had a car stolen

No 

46.00%

77.00%

32.00%

Partially 

42.00%

18.00%

12.00%

Yes

12.00%

5.00%

56.00%

 

2022

2023

No 

72.00%

64.36%

Partially 

15.10%

22.34%

Yes

12.90%

13.00%

*Only participants who had a car stolen, belongings from their car stolen or a car and their belongings stolen answered this question.

^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%

Nearly two-thirds of Australians did not recover the stolen vehicle, belongings or both. 

Over 45% of 18-27 year old participants recovered only part of what was stolen. 

More than half of respondents who had their car stolen recovered the stolen car, compared to the 5% of respondents who had their belongings stolen. 

In 2023, there was a 7.24% increase in the number of Australian respondents who recovered only part of what was stolen in 2022. [2]

Do you personally know anyone (other than yourself) who has had a car stolen in the last two years?

Australia
Gender
Age
State
Car Theft History
Trends Over Time
 

Yes, I’ve had both stolen.

Yes, I’ve had belongings stolen from my car

Yes I’ve had a car stolen

No, neither

Yes 

46.00%

29.00%

14.00%

14.00%

No 

54.00%

71.00% 

86.00%

86.00%

 

2022

2023

Yes 

16.90%

20.34%

No 

83.10% 

79.66%

^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%

More than 1 in 5 Australian participants knew someone who had their car stolen in the past two years. 

Nearly 30% of Queenslanders surveyed knew someone who had their car stolen during this period.

Key Takeaways

Car Theft in Queensland

Over the last two years, nearly 30% of Queenslanders surveyed knew someone who had their car stolen. While only 3.33% of Queenslanders in our survey responded that their car was stolen, the ABS has reported that car thefts have increased by 25% since 2021 in Queensland. [1]

Car Insurance Cover

Almost 70% of respondents who had their car and belongings stolen were covered by car insurance. More than two-thirds of respondents who had their car stolen and a third who had their belongings stolen were also covered.