Queensland tops list for motor vehicle thefts in Australia

According to a new study, Queensland had the highest number of motor vehicle thefts in 2021, with more than 15,800 crimes reported.

It was followed closely behind by Victoria with 15,353 thefts and New South Wales with 10,473 stolen vehicles reported to authorities.

However, the data – compiled by insurance company Budget Direct – reveals that while Queensland had a higher number of thefts in total, the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory reported an increased theft rate of stolen vehicles per 1000 registered.

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Across the Top End, an average of 10.1 motor vehicles per 1000 registered were reported as stolen, while the ACT and Queensland were behind at 4.5 and 3.7, respectively.

New South Wales had the lowest reported theft rate, at 1.8, largely owing to it having Australia's largest fleet of registered vehicles.

Tasmania had the lowest number of stolen vehicles in 2021, with 1065 reports to authorities – and 2.1 stolen per 1000 registrations.

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Budget Direct says the state and territory level statistics are based on local government and Australian Bureau of Statistics data for crime and vehicle registrations.

The data table below shows a full ranking of each state and territory in Australia:

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Meanwhile, a list demonstrating cities with the highest amount of thefts in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia reveals Brisbane to be the most dangerous for stolen motor vehicles, with 3623 in total – and 4.1 per 1000 registrations.

It was followed by the Gold Coast, Townsville, Cairns and Toowoomba in Queensland, while Adelaide in South Australia and Newcastle in New South Wales recorded more thefts than the Sunshine Coast.

The limited data reveals Albury, on the Victorian-NSW border, to be the safest for motor vehicle thefts with 134 reports last year.

The insurance company did not provide statistics for specifically cities in Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory.

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Theft from a motor vehicle – where it remains in place, but with items taken from the cabin – was substantially higher in Brisbane, with 7485 goods removed, followed by 4172 on the Gold Coast.

To prevent your vehicle from being stolen, or stop theft from inside it, there are a number of options available – beyond ensuring it is locked with all windows up.

This can include placing keys in a safe place, or installing a tracking device to assist in recovering the vehicle.

Most new vehicles feature built-in anti-theft technology, such as; steering wheel locks, immobilisers and alarm systems, while some include motion sensors built into the remote to prevent relay attacks.