Latest bicycle theft statistics and trend
According to the Swedish Crime Prevention Council (Brå), the latest statistics show that 9.4% of households reported being victims of bike theft in 2023. 57,765 bike thefts was reported, of which 14,719 were e-bike thefts. Although it may seem like bike theft is on the rise, the trend is actually downward after peaking in 2019, when 11.4% of households reported having their bikes stolen.
Low chance of getting your bike Back
Bike thefts are almost always unsolved, as it is difficult to identify the suspected person. In 2023, 4,620 cases were handled, with most being dismissed immediately. For regular bikes, it was less than 0% that were solved, and for e-bikes, it was around 1% (Brå).
What can you do as a bicycle owner?
The insurance company IF recommends the following measures:
- Lock your bike with at least one approved bike lock or chain lock in class 2.
- Lock your bike to a fixed object to prevent loading theft.
- Record the frame number and store the bike in a safe location.
The Police also recommend:
- Choose a careful location to park your bike. Park in a well-lit and open area with a lot of people around.
- Do not leave loose items such as a bike basket, lights, computer, and battery for the e-bike.
If your bicycle is stolen
The most important thing is to report the theft to the police, which you can do easily on the police's website for reporting theft. Then, contact your insurance company, as bike theft is often covered by home insurance. Have the following ready when you contact your insurance company:
- A copy of the police report.
- A receipt, order confirmation, or guarantee certificate showing where, when, and at what price you bought the bike.
- The bike's frame number, manufacturer, and model, if not mentioned on the receipt.
- A description of whether the bike was locked and with what lock when it was stolen.
- A photo of the bike, if you have one.
If you find your stolen bike
Do not intervene yourself and if you have previously reported the bike as stolen or lost, contact the police on 114 14 before taking it back.
GPS on bicycles
Some modern and slightly more expensive bikes may have built-in GPS transmitters. If you find your stolen bike using GPS, remember that you are dealing with criminals, so always contact the police on 114 14 when you find your stolen bike that has been reported. There are also GPS transmitters available for purchase that you can install on bikes it costs between 400-500 SEK. For Apple products, there are AIR-tag based trackers that is a cheap solution for tracking. But for Android users, one must buy a small GPS tracker and also a subscription, which is a bit costly in the long run.
