Theft Rates Soar to Highest Levels in Australia in 20 Years, Victoria in the Lead

Retail outlets are absorbing escalating losses as shoplifting becomes more brazen.

Signage on a police vehicle in Melbourne, Australia on Sept. 16, 2022. AAP Image/Diego Fedele

Theft rates have soared in Australia, reaching their highest peak in more than 20 years, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Almost 600,000 thefts were recorded nationally in 2024—the most since 2003 and close to the 700,000 peak in 2001.

Samantha Hall, ABS head of crime and justice statistics, said thefts had been rising since the pandemic.

“There were 595,660 recorded victims of theft in 2024,” she said.

“These thefts, which includes things like shoplifting and pickpocketing, but not motor vehicle thefts, have been continually rising since a drop during 2020 when COVID-19 restrictions were introduced.”

Victoria recorded the sharpest increase in 2024, up 29 percent, followed by Tasmania, which rose by 11 percent.

A graph tracking the volume of thefts each year (excluding motor theft) in Australia. Courtesy of the Australian Bureau of Statistics

The data also shows more people are stealing from retail stores, with shop thefts rising from 32 percent of all thefts in 2010 to 45 percent in 2024. By contrast, thefts from homes fell to 25 percent, down from 30 percent in 2010.

Motor vehicle thefts recorded also rose 8 percent to 65,603 victims in 2024.

Victoria’s Crime Rate Climbs

Separate data from the Crime Statistics Agency shows overall offending in Victoria jumped 15 percent in the 12 months to March 2025.

General crime went up 15.2 percent to 8,839 per 100,000 Victorians. Property and deception offences saw the largest increase, up nearly 24 percent to 370,587 offences.

Theft offences were the main driver, up by more than 58,000 cases to 240,000. Almost 83,000 of those were thefts from vehicles.

Chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said repeat offending was a factor.

“Theft offences have continued to rise sharply, with nearly a quarter of a million offences recorded in the last year,” she said.

“Increases were largest for thefts from motor vehicles and retail stores, with many of these offences linked to repeat offending.”

Premier’s Response

Premier Jacinta Allan has enacted a number of responses to Victoria’s escalating crime statistics.

These include announcing tougher bail laws in July, promising to make the state’s bail laws the “toughest in the country.”

The premier has also banned machetes and issued an apology to Victorians impacted by rising crime.