Police records show Australian property crime fell in 2025

• Australian property crime recorded its first national decline since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Robbery victims dropped 8%, and general theft fell 2%, while motor vehicle theft bucked the trend to reach a 17-year high.
• State-level decreases were led by Queensland for robbery and Western Australia for general theft.

Police recorded a drop in Australian theft and robbery victims in 2025, marking the first national decline in both categories since COVID-19 restrictions eased, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The reduction reverses consecutive years of rising property crime, led by a 403-victim fall in Queensland robberies and a 10,405-victim drop in Western Australian thefts.

"Theft and robbery in 2025 dropped for the first time since the declines that coincided with COVID-19 restrictions," said ABS head of crime and justice statistics Samantha Hall.

Retail locations accounted for 43% of general thefts with 247,425 victims, while street incidents made up 30% of robberies with 3,128 victims.

Despite the broader drop, motor vehicle theft increased to a 17-year high of 66,625 victims nationwide.

Following the release, market analysts noted the data reflects easing pressure on commercial retail security operations and personal property insurance claims.

The underlying spike in vehicle theft was driven primarily by an 11% surge in Victoria and a 3% increase in New South Wales.