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There were ** vehicle theft offences in England and Wales in 2025/26, compared withÌý**in the previous reporting year. Despite recent increases in this type of offence in the late 2010s, there were still far fewer vehicle thefts than there were in 2002/03, when there were more than *. This was followed by a steep decline, which saw vehicle thefts reduced to just under **Ìýin 2014/15.Ìý

Declining theft offences bucks overall trend

The sharp fall in vehicle theft offences between the early 2000s and mid 2010s was also reflected in overall crime figures for England and Wales. Unlike overall crime which generally increased from the late 2010s, vehicle thefts have remained relatively stable. This, along with the decline in burglaries has helped to keep overall theft offences relatively low compared to other types of crime, such asÌýviolent and sexual offences, which have both risen substantially.Ìý

Changing nature of property crime

Not every type of theft has declined, however.ÌýShoplifting offences in England and Wales reached a recent peak of justÌý over ** offences in 2024/25. At the same time,Ìýtheft from the person offences, such as via pockpocketing or snatching property, reached a peak in this reporting year at around ** offences. The ongoing cost of living crisis has meant that everyday consumer goods are typically more valuable than even a few years previous, increasing the perceived gains for the desperate or opportunistic.Ìý