DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Dutch news & articles
Shoplifting cases in the Netherlands spiked 15 percent in 2023
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Shoplifting cases in the Netherlands spiked 15 percent in 2023

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

133 million euros' worth of statiegeld deposits not returned in 2022 and 2023133 million euros' worth of statiegeld deposits not returned in 2022 and 2023
Dutch law in 2024: This is what’s changing in the Netherlands next yearDutch law in 2024: This is what’s changing in the Netherlands next year
The Netherlands sees 18-percent drop in skilled worker migrationThe Netherlands sees 18-percent drop in skilled worker migration
Population growth in the Netherlands now entirely due to migrationPopulation growth in the Netherlands now entirely due to migration
Dutch supermarket loyalty cards save you money, but raise privacy concernsDutch supermarket loyalty cards save you money, but raise privacy concerns
Dutch police may be able to use commercial DNA databases to solve cold casesDutch police may be able to use commercial DNA databases to solve cold cases
Camping crazy: Netherlands has second most campsites per capita in the EUCamping crazy: Netherlands has second most campsites per capita in the EU
Investigations underway after NS train cleaner dies mysteriously in UtrechtInvestigations underway after NS train cleaner dies mysteriously in Utrecht
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairsWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Jan 1, 2024
Abi Carter

Editor in chief at IamExpat Media

Abi studied German and History at the University of Manchester and has since lived in Berlin, Hamburg and Utrecht, working since 2017 as a writer, editor and content marketeer. Although she's happily taken on some German and Dutch quirks, she keeps a stash of Yorkshire Tea on hand, because nowhere does a brew quite like home.Read more

With the cost of everyday items becoming increasingly difficult to afford, it seems that the people of the Netherlands are becoming increasingly light-fingered. According to new figures from the Dutch police, cases of shoplifting increased by more than 15 percent in 2023. 

More shops in the Netherlands report things being stolen

The number of shoplifting cases in the Netherlands spiked considerably in 2023, NL Times reports, citing an analysis of police figures done by the podcast Het Misdaadbureau. As of October 2023, there have been 37.568 cases of shoplifting in the Netherlands, up from the 32.480 recorded in the same period last year. 

There are thieves aplenty in Groningen, it seems, as this province saw the most significant rise in the Netherlands, with cases rising a massive 40 percent compared to 2022. Substantial increases were also reported in the provinces of Noord-Holland, which includes the city of Amsterdam, and Limburg, where the number of cases rose by more than 25 percent. 

Shoplifting cases had been in decline for years

Police have been recording public crime statistics like shoplifting since 2012. A police spokesperson said that there had been a general downward trend in cases of shoplifting, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, as more people did their shopping on the internet. The new figures would seem to suggest that the decline is now going into reverse. 

Speaking to Het Misdaadbureau, a police spokesperson said that it was still unclear exactly what had caused the surge in 2023. They added that they would investigate the matter together with a national working group.

By Abi Carter