Auto thefts down 10% nationally, Alberta seeing the biggest drop among provinces

Auto thefts have dropped significantly across Canada, with Alberta and Western Canada seeing the largest drop among the regions compared to this time last year.A new report from the Équité Association shows that, compared to the first half of 2025, the first half of 2026 has seen a drop of 10.1% across the country.Looking at the regional numbers, the most significant drop occurred in Alberta, with the province seeing a drop of 15.1% in auto theft.In the first half of 2025 Alberta recorded 4,411 passenger vehicles stolen compared to 3,744 in the first half of 2026.Western Canada as a whole contributed the most to this decline as the region saw an overall decrease of 14.3%.Individual instances of passenger vehicle theft declined by almost 1,300, with the region reporting 7,449 instances of passenger vehicle theft in the first half of 2026 compared to 8,695 instances in the same timeframe the year previous..The region that saw the lowest decline was the Atlantic provinces, which only saw a decrease of 4.1% but numerically contributed the least number of thefts of any region in Canada, with the region only reporting 873 vehicles stolen in the first half of 2026.Quebec also saw a limited but still notable decrease in auto theft, with the province reporting a decline of 6.4%, and Ontario had a slightly better number, with auto theft declining by 8.4% in the country's most populous province."The decrease in auto theft showcases the successful collaboration of the insurance industry with law enforcement and all levels of government. However, long-term progress hinges on modernizing Transport Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations," said Bryan Gast, national vice president at the Équité Association.The new report highlights that auto theft numbers are trending downwards to pre-2021 levels, the year when auto-theft numbers really began to skyrocket in Canada.

Auto thefts down 10% nationally, Alberta seeing the biggest drop among provinces

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