Bicycle thefts in the Netherlands increased by 30% last year

Based on the 2023 Safety Monitor compiled by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the Ministry of Justice and Security, bicycle thefts in Netherlands increased by 30%, with almost 1 million bikes stolen in 2023.

More Dutch bikes stolen in 2023

Every two years, CBS and Dutch government publishes the Safety Monitor, which is a survey of safety and crime victimization in the Netherlands. The 2023 edition has some shocking bike data. Bicycle theft caused by far the greatest financial damage of all types of crime.

That people in the Netherlands are starting to cycle even more and e-bikes are becoming more popular, so more bikes are being stolen. In 2023, 928,000 bikes were stolen – 30% more than in 2021.

About half of the bikes stolen were worth less than 350 euros, but more expensive bikes are also taken. When more valuable bikes are stolen, the damage is reported police it is often more than 800 euros a piece – 110 euros more than two years ago.

Dutch insurers paid almost double for bicycle thefts

While more cyclists they make extra money to replace their stolen bikes, insurance companies they also saw an increase in payouts. In 2023, Dutch insurers paid out 271 million euros for bicycle thefts. That’s almost double what they paid in 2021.

Dutch insurance company ANWB also sees a pattern where more expensive e-bikes are taken. The average value of such a bicycle is around 2,200 euros. “Bicycles were stolen more often in 2023 and were also more valuable on average, both due to the higher purchase price and the increase in the number of e-bikes,” said ANWB Insurance spokesman Klaas Kregel . “For 2024, we see a stabilization in the number of thefts.”

However, some very expensive bikes that will not be covered by many insurance companies are fat bikes. Last year, the ANWB announced that it would no longer insure fat bikes due to high theft rates in Dutch cities.

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