There were 20,759 vehicles reported stolen across the country in the first six months of 2026.
This year-over-year drop is part of a larger trend toward lower, pre-2021 theft numbers.
80% of Canadians reportedly still believe their vehicle to be vulnerable to theft.
After having peaked in 2021, the number of vehicles stolen each year in Canada has been steadily decreasing since.
This trend doesn’t seem to be over, as a recent report from Équité Association, cited by Automotive News Canada, shows that vehicle theft dropped by a further 10% year-over-year during the first half of 2026.
Indeed, 20,759 vehicle thefts were reported nationally during that period, compared with 23,093 in the first half of 2025.
The most significant reduction was in Alberta, where 15.1% fewer stolen vehicles were reported in the first six months of 2026, while the lowest decline, 4.1%, was in the Maritime provinces, where 873 vehicle thefts were recorded during the same period, compared to 910 in the first half of 2025.
Speaking of which, 2025 itself saw a significant decrease in stolen vehicles over 2024, with a total of about 47,000 cases reported. Of these, about a third were not recovered.
Toyota RAV4 Prime 2021While it is difficult to say exactly what has led to this decrease in vehicle thefts, part of the reason could be that the national action plan to dismantle organized crime groups behind vehicle thefts announced by the federal government back in 2024 is beginning to show results.
This plan included measures such as increased inspections at major shipping ports, tougher criminal penalties, and better intelligence sharing across law enforcement agencies.
With that said, areas surrounding ports such as Montreal and Halifax are still hotspots for vehicle theft, and most Canadians don’t feel safer despite the reduction in theft rates.
Indeed, an Angus Reid survey commissioned by Équité Association highlights that 80% of Canadians still think their vehicle is or could be vulnerable to theft.
In addition, 60% of the respondents want the government to mandate anti-theft measures in new vehicles, as they feel automakers aren’t doing enough to foil thieves.
It will be interesting to see the number of vehicles that will be stolen across the country in the second half of the year, as we will know then if the downward trend keeps going through 2026.
Source: Automotive News Canada
