The number of thefts from or involving passenger cars in Belgium has fallen sharply in recent years, dropping from a peak of 22,327 cases in 2023 to 18,628 in 2025, a decline of almost 17%.
The figures come from Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and were obtained by CD&V MP Franky Demon.
Much of the drop was driven by Brussels, which still accounted for one in three recorded thefts from passenger cars in 2025. In the space of a year, the number of cases there fell by more than a third, from 9,711 to 6,291.
Hainaut moved in the opposite direction. There, the number of recorded thefts rose from 2,524 in 2021 to 3,605 in 2025, an increase of 43%.
Thefts from light goods vehicles also became less common, falling from 7,759 cases in 2023 to 6,365 in 2025. The number of thefts of vehicle parts also declined, from 1,997 in 2024 to 1,610 in 2025.
Bank and payment cards were the items most often stolen from passenger cars, with 2,280 cases recorded in 2025. They were followed by glasses and contact lenses at 2,102 cases, driving licences at 2,011, and laptops at 2,009.
From vans, the items most frequently stolen were drills, with 751 cases, and electric screwdrivers, with 744.
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Demon said the figures were encouraging, but warned against reading too much into a single good year. On average, a car is still broken into every 28 minutes in Belgium, he said. “The trend between 2021 and 2023 shows how quickly the number of car break-ins can rise again,” Demon said. “Vigilance therefore remains essential, and we must also ensure that people continue to report these offences.”
He said the figures underline the need for a sustained police presence on the streets and for neighbourhood information networks that allow information to be shared quickly when suspicious activity is spotted.
