If you drive in England, your car is eight times more likely to be stolen than in Northern Ireland, four times more likely than in Wales, and twice as likely as in Scotland, according to new research.
In 2024, a massive 50,734 cars were stolen in England, which works out to 0.92 thefts per 1,000 people. Compare that to Scotland, where just 1,462 cars were taken (0.46 per 1,000 people), and Wales, with 1,305 thefts (0.24 per 1,000 people). Northern Ireland had the lowest theft rate, with only 213 cars stolen—just 0.11 per 1,000 people.
The Worst Areas for Car Theft
| Region/country | No of stolen vehicles | Population | Cars stolen/1,000 people |
| West Midlands | 7,694 | 2,916,458 | 2.64 |
| Greater London | 14,106 | 8,908,081 | 1.58 |
| South Yorkshire | 1,979 | 1,402,918 | 1.41 |
| Essex | 2,532 | 1,832,752 | 1.38 |
| Bristol | 506 | 463,405 | 1.09 |
| West Yorkshire | 2,378 | 2,320,214 | 1.02 |
| Warwickshire | 564 | 571,010 | 0.99 |
| Hertfordshire | 1,160 | 1,184,365 | 0.98 |
| Greater Manchester | 2,706 | 2,812,569 | 0.96 |
| Bedfordshire | 642 | 704,736 | 0.91 |
| Buckinghamshire | 765 | 840,138 | 0.91 |
| Berkshire | 800 | 911,403 | 0.88 |
| Staffordshire | 970 | 1,131,052 | 0.86 |
| Worcestershire | 505 | 592,057 | 0.85 |
| Kent | 1,539 | 1,846,478 | 0.83 |
| Leicestershire | 865 | 1,053,486 | 0.82 |
| Wiltshire | 538 | 720,060 | 0.75 |
| Nottinghamshire | 572 | 823,126 | 0.69 |
| Cambridgeshire | 558 | 852,523 | 0.65 |
| Shropshire | 295 | 498,073 | 0.59 |
| Lancashire | 805 | 1,498,300 | 0.54 |
| Derbyshire | 555 | 1,053,316 | 0.53 |
| Surrey | 619 | 1,189,934 | 0.52 |
| Hampshire | 959 | 1,844,245 | 0.52 |
| Northamptonshire | 384 | 747,622 | 0.51 |
| Merseyside | 592 | 1,243,065 | 0.48 |
| East Yorkshire | 279 | 600,259 | 0.46 |
| Wales | 1,461 | 3,164,000 | 0.46 |
| Oxfordshire | 310 | 687,524 | 0.45 |
| Dorset | 346 | 772,268 | 0.45 |
| Tyne and Wear | 493 | 1,136,371 | 0.43 |
| North Yorkshire | 346 | 824,054 | 0.42 |
| East Sussex | 342 | 844,985 | 0.40 |
| Lincolnshire | 435 | 1,087,659 | 0.40 |
| Cheshire | 417 | 1,059,271 | 0.39 |
| County Durham | 330 | 866,846 | 0.38 |
| Rutland | 13 | 39,697 | 0.33 |
| Herefordshire | 59 | 192,107 | 0.31 |
| Somerset | 288 | 965,424 | 0.30 |
| West Sussex | 254 | 858,852 | 0.30 |
| Devon | 319 | 1,194,166 | 0.27 |
| Northumberland | 84 | 320,274 | 0.26 |
| Gloucestershire | 231 | 916,202 | 0.25 |
| Suffolk | 188 | 758,556 | 0.25 |
| Scotland | 1,305 | 5,490,100 | 0.24 |
| Cornwall | 133 | 568,210 | 0.23 |
| Isle of Wight | 29 | 141,538 | 0.20 |
| Norfolk | 166 | 903,680 | 0.18 |
| Cumbria | 84 | 498,888 | 0.17 |
| Northern Ireland | 213 | 1,920,400 | 0.11 |
The West Midlands is the worst region for car theft when adjusted for population. Even though London had more thefts overall (14,106 versus 7,694), people in the West Midlands were at a greater risk.
In 2024, the West Midlands recorded 2.64 thefts per 1,000 people, compared to 1.58 per 1,000 in Greater London. In contrast, Cumbria saw just 0.17 thefts per 1,000 people, while Northern Ireland had the lowest rate at 0.11 per 1,000.
The Most Expensive Cars Stolen
| Rank | Make and Model | Year | Value |
| 1 | Ferrari Purosangue | 2024 | £375,000 |
| 2 | Rolls Royce Cullinan | 2023 | £270,000 |
| 3 | Lamborghini Urus Performante | 2024 | £260,000 |
| 4 | Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica | 2024 | £250,000 |
| 5 | Rolls Royce Phantom | 2021 | £230,000 |
| 6 | Bentley Continental GT S | 2024 | £190,000 |
| 7 | Ferrari 488 Spider | 2017 | £180,000 |
| 8 | Rolls Royce Dawn | 2017 | £159,000 |
| 9 | Aston Martin V8 Volante | 1987 | £150,000 |
| 10 | Bentley Flying Spur | 2022 | £140,000 |
The most expensive car taken was a nearly new Ferrari Purosangue SUV, valued at around £375,000. That is 75 times more valuable than the most commonly stolen car—the 2016 Ford Fiesta, which is worth about £5,000. Nine out of the ten priciest stolen cars were taken in England, with just one from Northern Ireland. The list even included a classic 1987 Aston Martin V8 Volante, worth around £150,000.
How to Protect Your Car
Car security expert Claire Evans from What Car? says “Regardless of the value of your car, a good quality steering-wheel lock is recommended, along with a faraday bag – a tiny key-storage pouch which blocks the signal from your key to the car.
“It’s a shocking statistic that 44% of cars are accessed via an unlocked door and 80% of thefts take place at night or in the dark, so simple measures such as always checking your car is locked and parking in a well-lit location can also help.”
The good news is that car thefts in the UK dropped by 6% in 2024, including a 47% decrease in stolen Range Rover Sports. However, with theft rates still high in some areas, extra security measures are worth considering.
