Équité Association’s 2024 Auto Theft Trend Report reveals a significant national decrease in vehicle theft — numbers are still high but movement is trending in the right direction, officials say.
Last year saw an 18.6 per cent year-over-year decline. This reduction follows years of historic highs and is attributed to the concerted efforts of key stakeholders, the association noted.
In 2024, over 57,000 private passenger vehicles were stolen across Canada. While this number is still high, it represents a positive trend in combating auto theft, the group said.
The most notable decreases were seen in Quebec (32.4 per cent), Ontario (17.4 per cent), and Western Canada (12.7 per cent). Despite these improvements, 40 per cent of stolen vehicles remain unrecovered, with a national recovery rate of 59.3 per cent.
“2024 was a milestone year in the fight against auto theft in Canada,” said Terri O’Brien, president and CEO of Équité Association.
She highlighted the collaboration between Équité’s experts, provincial and federal governments, the Canadian Border Services Agency, and law enforcement agencies as key to this success.
“Momentum is on our side to disrupt criminal networks from profiting off insurance fraud,” she added.
Bryan Gast, vice president of investigative services at Équité Association, emphasized the role of organized crime in auto theft.
“Our investigative teams work closely with national and international law enforcement agencies, enable industry collaboration and provide cutting-edge intelligence to combat insurance crime,” he said.
He further noted that making vehicles harder to steal is crucial in preventing the funding of organized crime networks, including drug trafficking.
For a detailed analysis and regional breakdowns, the full 2024 Auto Theft Trend Report is available from Équité Association.
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