The number of motor theft claims in Victoria increased 25% to more than 12,500 last year, costing insurers $243 million, the industry peak body says.

It was the only jurisdiction to record an increase, according to the Insurance Council of Australia’s analysis of five mainland states.

In Queensland, vehicle theft claims dropped a record 12%; in WA they fell 15%; SA was down 14%; and NSW fell 1.6%.

Nationally, theft claim numbers increased 2.5% to 29,000, with incurred costs of $485 million.

Victoria accounted for about half of the industry’s claims bill for stolen cars, and its $243 million loss represented a 37% rise compared with 2024.

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“A car is stolen or broken into every 42 minutes in Victoria,” council CEO Andrew Hall said. “This level of crime is not acceptable. Each year, Victoria’s numbers stand apart from the rest of the country, and that gap is widening.”

Mr Hall says while other states are “effectively reducing car theft, in Victoria the volume of claims and the costs involved remain at unacceptable levels and that sustained pattern is what’s most concerning”.

ICA says claims in Victoria are concentrated in metropolitan areas, which recorded 10,400 claims totalling $205 million – up 30% by volume and 42% by value on the previous year.

Claim frequency – the incidence of motor vehicle theft as a percentage of total motor policies – rose from 0.35% to 0.46% in metro areas. It fell in other states.