The comprehensive report highlights alarming trends in bike theft and provides essential insights for prevention
SAN FRANCISCO, California (January 28, 2025) — Bike Index, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to combatting bike theft, released its highly anticipated 2025 Annual Bike Theft Report. The comprehensive report offers a critical analysis and latest statistics in bike theft trends across the U.S., using data from Bike Index’s bike registry of over 1.3 million registered bikes, academic research in collaboration with institutions such as UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis, and the latest available federal crime data.
The report underscores an urgent need for enhanced bike security measures, revealing an alarming 15% increase in stolen bikes reported within the Bike Index registry in 2024. Nationally, the report estimates that 2.4 million bikes are stolen annually, with 59% of thefts occurring in residential areas. This surge in thefts highlights the vulnerabilities faced by bike owners, especially in their own homes, and emphasizes the need for more preventative strategies.
Key Findings from the 2025 Bike Theft Report:
- 59% of bike thefts occur in residential areas—homes remain prime targets for thieves where bikes are commonly left unlocked in garages, patios, and other vulnerable locations.
- $1.4 billion—The estimated annual value of stolen bikes, underscoring the magnitude of the issue and the size of the black and gray market of fenced bicycles.
- 47% of victims lose their ability to commute to work due to bike theft, illustration the direct impact on livelihoods.
The troubling increase in bike thefts over the last year underscores the critical need for stronger bike security and registration efforts. Bike Index also outlines in the report the efficacy of bike registration and its impact on the prevalence of bike theft and stolen bike recoveries.
How to Download and Share the 2025 Annual Bike Theft Report
The full 2025 Bike Theft Report is available for free and can be downloaded from Dropbox or Google Drive. Bike Index encourages individuals and organizations to share the report to raise awareness and drive community action, helping communities advocate for better security infrastructure, promote bike registration, and reduce bike theft.
