Victoria has again recorded the highest number of motor vehicle theft insurance claims in Australia, with new figures showing the state’s car crime problem worsening while most other states experienced declines. The issue is especially relevant for many Filipino-Australian families across Melbourne’s outer suburbs, where daily life often depends heavily on having a car.
New analysis released by the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), based on Insurance Statistics Australia (ISA) data for 2024–25, found Victoria recorded a 25 per cent increase in motor theft claims and a 37 per cent rise in incurred costs from 2024 to 2025.
According to the ICA, Victoria recorded more than 12,500 claims worth a combined $243 million – higher than the total of all other states analysed combined.
Most of the claims were recorded in metropolitan areas, including suburbs across Melbourne, where more than 10,400 claims worth $205 million were lodged. Metro claims increased by 30 per cent in volume and 42 per cent in value compared to the previous year.
For many migrant families, owning a car is often essential for work, multiple jobs, shift work, school drop-offs and community activities, especially in outer suburban areas with limited public transport options.
Victoria’s Filipino community is concentrated in growth-area suburbs such as Wyndham and Casey, where families often rely on cars for work, school and community life because public transport can be limited or less practical. For shift workers, young drivers and households already managing rising living costs, car theft can quickly become more than an insurance issue – it can disrupt work, income and daily routines.
A young Filipino-Australian driver in Victoria told PhilTimes she was not surprised by the latest figures.
“I believe it,” she said when asked about the increase in car theft claims in Victoria.
While concerned about the trend, she said she was trying not to live in fear.
“You still have to go to work and do your normal routine. You just have to be more careful,” she said.
The ICA report found Victoria was the only state where theft claim frequency increased significantly. In metropolitan Victoria, theft claims rose 31 per cent, climbing from 0.35 per cent to 0.46 per cent of total motor vehicle policies.
Across Australia, motor theft claims rose 2.5 per cent to 29,000 claims in 2025, with total incurred costs reaching $485 million. However, excluding Victoria, the country would have recorded a 10 per cent reduction in claims and an eight per cent drop in costs.
Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland all reported significant declines in car theft claims, while New South Wales remained relatively stable.
Andrew Hall, CEO of the Insurance Council of Australia, said Victoria’s car crime problem remained alarming.
“A car is stolen or broken into every 42 minutes in Victoria. This level of crime is not acceptable,” Hall said.
“Each year, Victoria’s numbers stand apart from the rest of the country, and that gap is widening.
“While every other State is 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.”
The latest figures come as many households continue to deal with rising living costs, insurance premiums and vehicle expenses.
Police and insurers continue to remind motorists to lock vehicles, avoid leaving valuables inside cars, park in well-lit areas and consider installing anti-theft devices or tracking systems where possible.
