When we think of car thefts, there are those who believe that criminals opt for the most expensive and exclusive models: nothing could be further from the truth. They prefer best selling vehicles and those that are already a certain age because it is easier to resell their parts. Luckily, in Spain, this type of action has been decreasing… although it has not disappeared: If you have a SEAT Ibiza, a SEAT León or a Volkswagen Golf, we have bad news for you.
The HelloSafe insurance comparator has published a report about car thefts in Spain. According to the data of the Ministry of the Interior reflected in it, in 2022, 24,990 vehicles were stolen in Spain: 5.40% less than the previous year (2021) when 26,417 incidents were recorded. In 2020, a year marked by the pandemic, the figure indicates that 25,387 cars were victims of a theft.
Less robberies
It must be taken into account that, according to the Spanish Union of Insurance and Reinsurance Entities (UNESPA), in 2019 there were 128,000: a figure includes both the theft of the entire vehicle and of any element inside it. The aforementioned study indicates 35,105 incidents, which are presumed to be subtractions from the complete model.
At the European level, according to information from Eurostat, Spain, with a rate of 52 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, occupies position number 17, behind countries like Norway (107), Austria (81) and Switzerland (79). Italy, meanwhile, is on the opposite side, as it is the European country with the highest car theft rate (280), closely followed by the Czech Republic (271) and Greece (267).
The three models preferred by criminals
Going back to the HelloSafe study, the information reveals which are the models preferred by criminals: SEAT Ibiza, SEAT León and Volkswagen Golf. All three have the qualities that are sought in this type of criminal action: they have been on the market for a long time, they are among the best sellers and they are well valued in the market. Reasons why its parts and spare parts are so coveted.
The provinces with the most and least robberies
On the other hand, HelloSafe has calculated the rate of theft by region: for this it has taken into account the registrations and the cars that are in circulation in each province. Based on these data, he concludes that Lugo is the province with fewer reports, since it has a rate of 1.1 stolen vehicles for every 10,000 units, taking into account that they have a park made up of 205,858 copies. accompany you caceres (1.5 per 10,000 with a fleet of 225,835) and Teruel (1.8 per 10,000 with a park of 75,921).
Obviously, the cities with the most car thefts also appear on that list. Top the ranking Ceuta with 103 vehicles reported as stolen: this translates into a rate of 24.5 per 10,000 units in a park made up of 42,028 copies. Santa Cruz De Tenerife ranks second with 414 thefts and a rate of 23.2 for a fleet of 178,000 cars. Close the podium Barcelona with 5,074 thefts and a rate of 20.5 in a fleet of 2,469,693 vehicles. Behind are cities such as Madrid (with a rate of 17.8 stolen cars), Malaga (17.4), Cádiz (16), the Balearic Islands (14.6), Girona (11.7), Tarragona (10.4 ) and Valencia (10.3).
