Published 24 April 2024 at 10.16
Domestic. Almost a third of all cars wanted in 2023 were never found, according to this year's car crime barometer from the insurance company If. It is the highest figure ever.
Share the article
TwittraShare
The annual review of car crime in Sweden shows that it is still mainly international, organized crime networks that commit the crimes.< /p>
The majority of all stolen goods leave Sweden and are mainly transported to the east, where the greatest demand is found. An estimated 90 percent of the stolen goods are taken abroad.
– Sweden is among the worst affected countries in Europe in terms of car theft. It is too easy for the thieves to find specific cars through Sweden's open register and too easy to take out the stolen goods. Changes to the law and tightening of border control are required for Sweden to get this car crime in order, says Ann Hassel Tano, head of investigations at If, in a press release.
Generally speaking, car crime has decreased in Sweden in the last 10 years. In 2023, 54,393 crimes were reported, which is a decrease of seven percent from the previous year, statistics from the Crime Prevention Council, Brå show.
– The criminals work more systematically and more goal-oriented. Even if the number of crimes decreases, the cost of the crimes that we insurance companies and our customers have to pay does not decrease. These gangs are organized and know what they are after, says Ann Hassel Tano.
The damage costs caused by car crime to society are still high – SEK 687 million in 2023. This is a decrease of three percent from the year 2022. The damage costs for all vehicle crime landed in 2023 at over SEK 1.1 billion – an increase of eight percent from the previous year, according to new statistics from the industry organization Swedish Insurance.
More cars than ever before were wanted in 2023 without being found. This applies both in absolute numbers and as a percentage of those who are wanted. At the same time, an improvement is noted in that catalyst thefts are greatly reduced, probably as a result of falling prices for metals. Spare parts theft is also decreasing, by 7 percent from 2022.
Car crime in Sweden stands out from an international perspective. According to the EU's statistical office Eurostat, in 2021, the most recent year for which comparative figures are available, Sweden had the second highest number of thefts of all or parts of motor vehicles per capita in Europe, with 179 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. Only Italy was worse affected in 2021 with 186 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2020, Sweden was worst affected in all of Europe, according to Eurostat, with 207 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. Eurostat's figures are based on data from the police authorities of European countries.