Vehicle thefts in the United States declined by 23% year-over-year to their lowest level in several decades in 2025, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reports. This marks the second consecutive year auto thefts have seen a significant drop.
There were 659,880 total vehicles reported stolen nationwide last year, which the NICB says is a historic low and a clear signal that the pandemic-fueled surge in vehicle thefts has ended.
Areas that saw the largest decline in auto theft activity in 2025 include:
- Washington: -39%
- Colorado: -35%
- Puerto Rico: -34%
- South Dakota: -32%
- Tennessee: -31%
- New Mexico: -31%
The drop in car theft activity is encouraging, but the NICB reminds the public that it still remains a significant crime threat that affects hundreds of thousands of people each year. Even with historically low thefts, a vehicle is still stolen in the U.S. every 48 seconds.
"Coordinated prevention efforts by law enforcement, auto manufacturers, insurance companies, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau are having a major impact on vehicle thefts nationwide," NICB President and CEO David J. Glawe said in a release. "But with several hundreds of thousands of vehicles stolen in a single year, vigilance and prevention efforts remain key to protecting families, businesses and communities nationwide."
In the slideshow above, we'll look at six steps drivers should take to lower their chances of falling victim to auto theft, according to Progressive.
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