Filenews 15 December 2021
With 149 car thefts per 100,000 people on average each year, corresponding to 4 thefts per day, Cyprus has been negatively ranked as the eighth European country in vehicle thefts, just 2% behind the UK which is seventh and 85% behind Italy at the top of the list.
This is demonstrated by the latest research conducted by the website Confused.com and concerns the period 2011-2019. The same survey states that vehicle thefts in Cyprus are four per day.
The website has evaluated theft reports across Europe and compared them to the population of each country to find an average number of thefts per 100,000 people.
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The countries with the most thefts
According to the website's data, Italy has the highest car theft rate in Europe, with an average of 276 thefts per 100,000 people each year.
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With an average of 274 thefts per 100,000 people, the Czech Republic is the second country in Europe in terms of vehicle thefts. Despite having a population 84% smaller than Italy which holds the first place (276 thefts per 100,000), the Czech Republic has only 0.7% fewer car thefts per 100,000 people each year.
Sweden follows behind the Czech Republic as the third worst country for car thefts, with 266 thefts per 100,000 people on average each year. Compared to its Scandinavian neighbours, Sweden experiences 91% more thefts per 100,000 people each year than Finland (139 per 100,000) and 138% more thefts than Norway, which on average has 112 per year.
France comes in fourth place with 261 thefts per 100,000 people each year. Compared to its neighbours in Central Europe, the data show 267% more thefts each year than Germany (71 per 100,000 people) and 205% more than Switzerland, which is in 14th place with 85 thefts per 100,000 people each year.
Greece is the fifth most insecure country when it comes to car theft, with 255 thefts per 100,000 people each year. This shows only a 7% decrease in the number of thefts experienced by the Czech Republic on average every year, despite the fact that Greece's population is 2% larger.
France first in thefts per day
As for thefts per day, France is at the top of the list. According to the data, there are 474 complaints about car thefts per day, on average. This breaks down into 20 thefts every hour and three every minute.
Italy comes in second place with 455 thefts a day, followed by the United Kingdom in third (272) and Germany in fourth (159).
In Denmark the fewest thefts per year
With just five car thefts per 100,000 people every year, Danish car owners are the least likely to suffer car theft than all Europeans. This is a 96% reduction from the 149 thefts in Cyprus per 100,000 people.
Romania has the second lowest number of car thefts every year on average, with just 14 per 100,000 people. They are followed by Liechtenstein and Croatia, with an average of 22 thefts per 100,000 people each year – an 85% decrease compared to Cyprus (149).
Ways to reduce thefts
Alex Kindred, a car insurance expert, commented on Confused.com: "Unfortunately car thefts are taking place every day across Europe, so it is important to ensure that our cars are safe. By protecting our cars with effective security measures such as locks on the steering wheel and alarms, we may reduce the risk of theft and a potential requirement that may follow.
"One of our recommendations is to have your car's vehicle identification number (VIN) engraved on each of the windows, as this means that thieves will have to pay to replace the glass. In addition, when parking your car, leave it in gear with the wheels facing the kerb. This makes it more difficult for thieves to tow your vehicle. Implementing these measures will not only reduce the risk of your car being stolen, but it could help keep your car's insurance costs down."
