Auto theft across Canada continued its downward trajectory in the first half of 2026, with reported incidents dropping 10 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to a report released Tuesday by Équité Association. The non-profit anti-fraud organization recorded 20,759 vehicles stolen between January and June, down from 23,093 in the first six months of 2025.
The decline marks a return toward what the association describes as "pre-crisis levels" before 2021, when pandemic-driven vehicle shortages triggered a surge in organized theft to meet global demand. Bryan Gast, national vice president of intelligence and investigations at Équité, said the trend is encouraging but warned that luxury vehicles remain prime targets and theft profits continue to fund criminal networks.
Alberta leads provincial declines
Alberta recorded the steepest reduction at 15.1 per cent, while Atlantic Canada saw the smallest improvement, with thefts falling just 4.1 per cent to 873 from 910. Every province reported fewer thefts than in the first half of 2025.
Gast emphasized that sustained effort is essential. "Stakeholders have to continue doing what we're doing because if we take our foot off the gas, criminals will see this is a very high reward, low-risk crime," he said.
Public confidence lags behind statistics
Despite the improving numbers, an Angus Reid survey commissioned by Équité in July found nearly 80 per cent of Canadians believe their vehicles are or could be vulnerable to thieves. Sixty per cent of respondents supported government-mandated anti-theft technology in new vehicles.
The February report from Équité noted that while 2025 saw a sharp annual drop, almost 47,000 vehicles were still stolen that year and more than a third were never recovered. The federal government's 2024 national action plan, targeting organized crime groups through tougher penalties, increased shipping container inspections and better intelligence sharing, appears to be having an effect, though the association flagged a spike in vehicle finance fraud detected at ports in Montreal and Halifax.
Based on reporting by Global News.