Car thefts in Belgium are rising: 27,000 in five years

The carjacking years seem far behind us as a phenomenon from the beginning of the century, but recent figures from the federal police show that consumers should take guard. There’s an increase in car thefts in Belgium, targeting certain models.

With car thefts on the rise, Belgian motorists should start considering theft risk as a critical factor when purchasing a vehicle and take proactive steps to protect their investment. The trend is especially worrying in the Walloon region.

Data from 2023

Full-year data are only available for 2023 and are published by La Dernière Heure newspaper. At least 5,782 cars were stolen nationwide, averaging 16 thefts per day. Annoyingly, the criminals show no signs of slowing down, with the first quarter of 2024 already recording 1,339 thefts, an increase of almost 5.5% compared to the previous year.

Wallonia is the most affected region, with 3,008 car thefts in 2023, followed by Flanders (1,579) and Brussels (1,195). Among the most impacted municipalities, Charleroi leads the ranking with 442 thefts – one out of every thirteen stolen cars in Belgium.

Liège (304 thefts) and Antwerp (215 thefts) complete the unfortunate podium. More surprising is Mouscron (164 thefts) and Seraing (98 thefts) on the list of the most vulnerable cities.

Where do these cars end up?

Authorities remain cautious about the final destinations of stolen vehicles. Some are used in other criminal activities, such as robberies or drug trafficking, while others are shipped abroad, particularly to Eastern Europe. A significant portion of stolen vehicles is also dismantled for parts resale, a growing market.

Unsurprisingly, Belgium’s most popular car brands are also the most stolen. Volkswagen tops the list, with 144 vehicles stolen in the first quarter of 2024 and 713 for the full year in 2023. Between 2019 and 2023, at least 3,408 Volkswagen models were taken.

Peugeot follows with 2,184 stolen vehicles over five years, while Renault ranks third with 2,109 thefts. Mercedes (1,924) and Toyota (1,862) are also among the most targeted brands.

However, federal police caution against drawing overly simplistic conclusions: since these brands are among the best-selling in Belgium, their overrepresentation in theft statistics is logical.

Volkswagen Golf: thieves’ top pick

While thieves seem to prefer certain brands, they also target specific models. The Volkswagen Golf is by far the most sought-after car, with 249 thefts recorded in 2023 and 1,437 between 2019 and 2023. Its immense popularity in the market, particularly in the used car segment, makes it a prime target. 

The Volkswagen Polo follows with 150 thefts in 2023 and 686 over the past five years. However, in the first half of 2024, the Polo briefly overtook the Golf in thefts, with 51 units stolen compared to 33. These figures do not necessarily indicate that these models are easier to steal but are in higher demand.

Early reports from insurance companies like Ethias, AG Insurance, and AXA revealed the preference for Golf. These also pointed to the popularity of the Dacia Sandero, which is the best-selling model in Wallonia (and Europe). 

Despite evolving security technologies, thieves keep up the pace and often fill orders instead of stealing cars randomly. While newer vehicles are equipped with increasingly sophisticated security systems, scanners intercept the signals from Keyless-Go, unjustly providing access.

Experts recommend additional measures to deter theft attempts, such as GPS trackers and steering wheel locks. Electric models are not mentioned in the list, which are often equipped with a SIM-based (but removable) tracker.