Unlawfully Obtained Vehicles - Burglars in the Northern Region prefer targeting costlier automobiles.
Last year, insurance reports indicated that the number of pilfered vehicles in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein remained the same, yet the financial loss was greater. Specifically, Schleswig-Holstein saw 490 insured passenger vehicles thefts in 2023, resulting in over €10 million in damages, as reported by the German Insurance Association (GDV). The average payout per theft exceeded €20,700, a 12% increase from the previous year. Statistically, car thieves targeted three vehicles out of every 10,000 insured vehicles in Schleswig-Holstein, falling below the countrywide average of four.
In contrast, Hamburg endured 853 insured car thefts, resulting in a financial loss exceeding €20 million. The payout per theft averaged over €23,700, representing an 11% increase from the previous year. Hamburg's car theft rate of 13 thefts per 10,000 insured vehicles significantly eclipsed the national average. According to GDV CEO Jörg Asmussen, "Car theft risk in Hamburg is higher than in nearly all other federal states and major cities," with Berlins's higher theft rate of 42 being the only exception.
Following these statistics, it's worth noting that the manufacture of motor vehicles in both Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein continues unabated, despite the high vehicle theft rates. In fact, the demand for new vehicles might even be exacerbating the situation, as more vehicles on the road increase the potential targets for car thieves.
