Most of the cars are stolen in these cities

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Last year, around 28,100 vehicle thefts (including unauthorized use) were officially registered in Germany. This corresponds to a decrease of around seven percent, as can be seen from the current police crime statistics (PKS 2019).

For the first time in this millennium, the number was below the 30,000 mark. For comparison: between 2009 and 2011 over 40,000 thefts were recorded, in 2003 over 60,000 and in 2000 even over 80,000 (VersicherungsJournal April 14, 2020).

Most offenses in Berlin

The current PKS data also shows that there are huge differences in major German cities (with more than 100,000 inhabitants). In absolute terms, the federal capital Berlin is the front runner with almost 5,800 (plus 1.3 percent compared to the previous year) of such crimes.

In Hamburg there were around 1,650 (minus 5.8 percent) – around four and a half car thefts per day or one offense every five hours. This is followed by Cologne, Leipzig, Düsseldorf and Dresden with between a good 500 and almost 300 cases recorded.

For a total of four of the 82 cities listed, fewer than 15 such offenses are listed in the official statistics. Ulm is at the top with only six vehicle thefts. This is followed by Reutlingen (eleven offenses) before Siegen and Fürth (each 13 cases).

The biggest changes

It is also noticeable that there have been massive changes in many cities. The number of stolen motor vehicles in 54 of the major cities listed fell. A minus of over half was only recorded for Solingen (from 63 to 27 offenses recorded). The decrease was greater than 40 percent in Erfurt (from 153 to 77), Jena (from 52 to 28), Kiel (from 79 to 43), Chemnitz (from 142 to 78) and in Siegen (from 23 to 13).

Conversely, the number of vehicle thefts recorded by the police increased the most in Heidelberg by well over half (from eleven to 17 cases). In Würzburg it went up by around 44 percent (from 16 to 23). For Oldenburg (Oldenburg) and Recklinghausen, with a third (from 39 to 52) and a quarter (from 38 to 48), comparatively high rates of increase are also reported.

Berlin is the capital of car thieves

In relation to the number of inhabitants, Berlin was the capital of car thieves last year. After a minimal increase to 158 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, the federal capital overtook last year’s leader Cottbus (4.6.2019). There the Klaurate was only 125 (2018: 162).

This is followed by Aachen and Potsdam with – each slightly increased – values ​​of just under 100. With between around 90 and around 73 police-recorded offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, there was also a comparatively high level of claw risk in Hamburg, Wolfsburg and Magdeburg. For comparison: The national average was 34 (37) stolen vehicles per 100,000 inhabitants.

The strongest decrease was observed in Wolfsburg (in the previous year with the third highest incidence). There the value dropped by over 40 points to 77 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Magdeburg and Leipzig went down by almost 20 points each.

Ulm with the lowest risk of theft

In only two large cities (Ulm and Reutlingen) the Klaurate per 100,000 inhabitants was below ten. Last year there was also a low risk of vehicle theft in Fürth, Heidelberg and Munich.

In Siegen, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Erlangen, too, motorists were able to park their vehicles with relative peace of mind. Because here only under 15 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants were statistically recorded.

A noticeable change of more than five points was only recorded for victories. There the incidence decreased by about 20 points.

Huge differences in the clearance rate

After a renewed slight upward trend, the clearing-up rate nationwide is well over a quarter at almost 29 percent. However, huge differences can be observed at the level of the individual large cities.

In Braunschweig and Moers, for example, only about every eleventh offense was solved. In Hamburg (one tenth) and Berlin (one eleventh) the quotas were also at a manageable level.

The front runner is Ulm, where five out of six car thefts were solved last year (83 percent). The statisticians calculated rates of 80 and 75 percent for Ingolstadt (16 of 20 cases were cleared up), Erlangen (twelve of 16), Koblenz (18 of 24) and Mainz (29 of 39).

Further analysis of the car theft incident

In the “Bundelagebild Kfz-Kriminalität” the BKA shows once a year how many vehicles have been permanently lost. The publication also contains data on the brands and models most frequently affected as well as on the most important transport routes (10/26/2020, (10/30/2020).

He also evaluates which car models and brands are most popular with thieves General Association of the German Insurance Industry eV (GDV) annually on the basis of the insured cases.

Last year, the vehicles of the brands Ford (USA), Land Rover, Mazda and Porsche were most at risk. The car thieves’ favorites were the second-generation BMW X6 and the first-generation Land Rover “Velar”. For every 1,000 insured cars, more than ten of these models were stolen in 2019 (9/11/2020).

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