Auto theft in decline, yet still costs Canadians $1B annually

If you have ever had the displeasure of having your car stolen, you are definitely not alone here in Canada. The country still has a substantial auto theft problem despite the steep decline in the past 10 years. But the infographic we uncovered is very insightful about where the problem lies across this country.

Most people would immediately think that provinces like Ontario and Quebec would lead the list in auto thefts with major urban centres like Toronto and Montreal. Quite the contrary, the number one region is Nunavut with 614 thefts per 100,000 people followed by the Northwest Territories with 507 the per capita rate of car theft is very high in these remote areas. All together, a car is stolen ever 6 minutes in this country.

Even though reported car thefts have dropped by 45 per cent since 2001, the problem still costs Canadians $1 billion annually. Many cars are either chopped for parts or placed in containers for overseas export. And what is the number one car stolen across Canada? As we reported earlier this year, it is the Toyota Venza at the top of the list. But on the flipside we also uncovered a list of the top 10 least stolen vehicles with Buick leading the charge there.

Click past the jump for the theft stats infographic.

News Source: Insurance Bureau of Canada via Kanetix