Car thefts nearly double in three years, as crime continues to rise
Crime in Victoria has reached its highest level since 2016, largely due to theft, but police analysis shows some types of crime are starting to stabilize after several years of sharp increases.
The crime rate in 2025 was 8885.5 crimes per 100,000 people, an increase of 2.4 percent compared to 2024. A total of 630,592 crimes were recorded in the state last year; this was an increase of 25,250 crimes, or 4.2 percent.
Victoria Police said the 2.4 per cent increase was a positive sign that crime was becoming more controlled after years of rising crime rates. From 2022 to 2025, the crime rate increased by more than 19 percent.
But Assistant Commissioner (regional operations) Bob Hill said a major reduction in the overall crime rate was unlikely to happen anytime soon due to ongoing issues such as rising cost of living and increased use of technology.
“While it is pleasing that crime appears to have stabilized, it will take time for crime to drop to levels more traditionally seen in Victoria,” Hill said.
“With 230,213 different victims of crime, we see too many innocent community members being harmed.
“This is completely unacceptable as we want Victorians to not only be safe, but to feel safe in the community.”
In 2025, a total of 26,645 people were arrested a total of 78,014 times; This underscores that repeat offenses remain a problem despite legislative changes designed to keep more people behind bars.
Police Minister Anthony Carbines said the crime rate was still too high and blamed the slowing rise in Victoria’s crime rate on new youth crime laws Labor passed last year.
“We’re seeing growth falling. That’s really important and what it shows is that our reforms are: “Adult time for violent crime, our violence reduction unit, the realignment of Victoria Police to get them out from behind desks and onto the front lines… continues to spread throughout the community,” Carbines said on Thursday morning.
But the police union president said crime will continue to rise until more officers are hired.
“The only aspect of crime in Victoria showing a steady downward trend is the number of officers in our communities tackling it,” Victoria Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said.
“We’ve long said that crime increases as police numbers decrease. Here we are again. If you want to solve the problem, start hiring the solution.”
Theft accounts for a third of crimes and has been the biggest factor in the increase in the number of crimes committed. Police said the high cost of living meant this was unlikely to abate.
More than 32,000 cars will be stolen in 2025, the highest since 2001, forcing police to reconsider their approach to fighting crime.
Since 2022, there has been a 96.9 percent increase in the number of stolen vehicles and an 83.97 percent increase in the rate of stolen vehicles per 100 thousand people.
According to the Insurance Council of Australia, in financial year 2025, Victoria recorded the largest annual increase in motor vehicle theft claims, with a 59 per cent increase; More than 12,000 claims totaling $223 million were filed.
with Daniella White
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Angus Delaney is a reporter for The Age. Email him at angus.delaney@theage.com.au or contact him securely on Signal at angusdelaney.31.Connect via email.
