Over 85,000 bikes stolen in Netherlands last year; Amsterdam in the lead by far

Over 85,000 bicycle thefts were reported in the Netherlands last year, almost 10 percent higher than in 2022. Amsterdam is, by far, the bike theft capital of the Netherlands, comparison site Independer reported based on figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

The Amsterdam authorities recorded 10,920 bicycle thefts in the Dutch capital last year. That is more stolen bikes than in the provinces of Zeeland (1,095), Flevoland (1,190), Friesland (1,730), and Groningen (2,245) combined. Rotterdam came in a distant second place with 4,755 stolen bikes, followed by The Hague (4,450) and the city Utrecht (4,040).

Largely thanks to Amsterdam, Noord-Holland was the province with the most bicycle thefts last year (19,710), followed by Zuid-Holland (18,745) and Noord-Brabant (12,785). The biggest increase in bicycle thefts happened in Flevoland (+34.5 percent) and Groningen (+21 percent).

According to Michel Ypma, home insurance expert at Independer, the actual number of bike thefts is probably even higher because not everyone reports it to the police. Ypma urged Netherlands residents to check the insurance on their bikes. Bikes kept in the backyard or shed must be properly locked for home insurance to pay out in the event of theft. “If your bicycle is stolen outside your home, home insurance is of no use. Then you can only claim through bicycle insurance with theft cover.”