IBC Urges Action as Auto Theft Claims Rise in Atlantic Canada over Past Decade, Deepening Financial Strain for Region's Drivers
HALIFAX, NS, July 14, 2025 /CNW/ - New data released by Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) show that the cost of auto theft in the Atlantic region has risen dramatically over the past decade in all four provinces, especially in New Brunswick.
Despite dipping slightly in 2024, Atlantic Canada has seen an alarming increase in both the number of auto thefts and the related costs since 2014. Last year, auto theft insurance claims costs exceeded $31 million compared to $8.4 million in 2014 – a staggering 275% increase.
New Brunswick has become the auto theft capital of the region, with 788 auto theft claims in 2024 at a cost of over $16 million. Auto theft–related claims have increased 228% since 2014. Over the past decade, the three cities in Atlantic Canada with the largest increases in claims costs due to auto theft are all in New Brunswick: Saint John (520%), Moncton (746%) and Fredericton (1,672%).
"All orders of government should continue to take action on the auto theft crisis in Atlantic Canada and across the country. However, it is most critical to tackle the crisis in New Brunswick to ensure it doesn't become one of the country's primary hot spots for vehicle thefts," said Amanda Dean, Vice-President, Ontario and Atlantic, IBC. "Auto theft is not a victimless crime. A stolen car is just the tip of the iceberg. The proceeds from stolen vehicles fund organized crime, and the amount of this illicit funding is staggeringly high – and growing. The time to act is now."
Provincial data for Atlantic Canada
In 2024, Prince Edward Island saw the biggest drop (18.8%) in auto theft claims from 2023 in the region. New Brunswick saw theft claims drop by 4.8% from 2023 to 2024. In contrast, theft claims rose by 12.4% in Nova Scotia and 5.6% in Newfoundland and Labrador over the same period.
Table 1: Cities Most Affected by Auto Theft in Atlantic Canada, 2014 – 24, compared with 2023-24
Halifax
Charlottetown
Saint John
Moncton
Fredericton
Claims Count
Change
2014–24
100 %
133 %
150 %
383 %
692 %
Change
2023–24
15 %
-33 %
29 %
-6 %
-24 %
Claims Costs
Change
2014–24
233 %
438 %
520 %
746 %
1,672 %
Change
2023–24
-2 %
-19 %
18 %
-7 %
-24 %
"We need to treat vehicle theft as the national crisis that it is. It affects people and communities in every corner of the region and beyond," added Dean. "The strategies and tools to address these issues exist. They stem from the federal government's 2024 auto theft summit."
The Atlantic region's auto insurers urge provincial governments to:
Provide more resources for coordinated inter-agency enforcement
Bolster enforcement capacity, as Ontario recently did, by creating provincial auto theft teams with dedicated prosecutorial support to strengthen provincial capacity to police and deter organized crime's involvement in auto theft.
Newfoundland and Labrador has taken a positive step by implementing an Insurance Validation Program. This program allows provincial auto registries to instantly confirm that a vehicle has active insurance, deterring uninsured driving.
At the federal level, the government should continue to implement the National Action Plan on Combatting Auto Theft, including modernizing and updating the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to make cars harder to steal in the first place. One of the forces contributing to the decade-long increase in auto thefts is that vehicles have become easier to steal, reflecting the outdated nature of the regulations.
The government should also follow through with their platform commitment to boost the capacity of the Canada Border Services Agency to prevent stolen vehicles from exiting the country. Thefts could also be thwarted by expanding and improving the Interprovincial Record Exchange to foster better data- and information-sharing with provincial registries and close vehicle registration loopholes.
About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Established in 1964, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up the vast majority of Canada's highly competitive property and casualty (P&C) insurance market.
As the leading advocate for Canada's private P&C insurers, IBC collaborates with governments, regulators and stakeholders to support a competitive environment for the P&C insurance industry to continue to help protect Canadians from the risks of today and tomorrow.
IBC believes that Canadians value and deserve a responsive and resilient private P&C insurance industry that provides insurance solutions to both individuals and businesses.
For media releases, IN Focus articles or to book an interview with an IBC representative, visit ibc.ca. Follow us on LinkedIn, X and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC. We're here to help.
Additional Background Data
Table 2: Atlantic Canada's total auto theft costs, 2014 – 24.
SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada
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