Car break-ins doubled in seven cities; Amsterdam total is the highest

The frequency of car break-ins significantly increases in November in the Netherlands. Research by Independer based on police data shows that over the past three years, the number of car burglaries in November was on average 20 percent higher than the annual average. The figure also revealed disparities among municipalities.

In November, cars are broken into much more often. Over the past three years, the number of car break-ins in November was even on average 20 percent higher than the annual average, according to research by Independer based on police data.

From January to October this year, there have been 35,380 car break-ins, marking an increase of 715 incidents compared to the same period last year. The number of car burglaries is expected to rise significantly, as November typically sees the highest frequency of such incidents. Over the past three years, the number of car burglaries in November has been, on average, 20.2 percent higher than in other months.

“The number of burglaries starts to rise in the autumn and the peak occurs in November,” explained Independent car insurance expert Menno Dijcks.

At the municipal level, there are significant difference in car break-ins rates across the Netherlands. In several municipalities (IJsselstein, Goirle, Gouda, Meierijstad, Assen, Laren, and Waddinxveen), the number of car burglaries has more than doubled compared to the same period last year.

In Amsterdam, the risk of car burglary is higher than in any other Dutch municipality. From January to October, there are roughly 21.6 car burglaries per 1,000 cars in the capital, a rate about 5.5 times higher than the national average in the Netherlands.