Theft Rates Soar to Highest Levels in Australia in 20 Years, Victoria Leads Rise

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.