The Netherlands is known for its bike culture and well-constructed cycle lanes. With lots of support and resources available for cyclists, biking around town or even to work just makes sense.
Of course, with popularity, comes responsibility. If it’s not the city council taking your bike because it’s been parked illegally, it’s likely it’s been stolen!
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), 636.308 stolen bikes were reported to the police in the Netherlands in 2015. This data was compiled and published in an extensive report.
Unfortunately, the findings were restrictive to reported incidences, which the CBS states only make up 30 percent of all bike thefts.
In cities with the most reports, like Nijmegen and Enschede, the study shows that three bikes are stolen on average every day. This could mean that the actual figure might be as high as 10 a day.
Illustrated on a map of 122 of the most affected neighbourhoods, the study found that most bike theft takes place in and around main stations. With thousands of bikes concentrated in one spot, it seems a good choice.
Of all bikes that are reported, the 2015 study showed that only 4,2 per cent of these and their respective thieves are found. That’s about one in every 24 stolen bikes.
According to CBS, this means that whilst bike thefts are amongst the highest of all in comparison to other thefts in the Netherlands, they have the lowest rate of being returned to their rightful owner.
Here are the top 10 cities where stolen bikes have been reported:
1. Enschede - 892
2. Nijmegen - 827
3. Tilburg Centrum - 661
4. Eindhoven Binnenstad - 646
5. Amsterdam Burgwallen-Nieuwe Zijde - 626
6. Utrecht Hoog-Catharijne NS en Jaarbeurs - 491
7. Sittard Centrum - 450
8. Amsterdam De Weteringschans - 390
9. Amsterdam Jordaan - 377
10. Apeldoorn - 359
On a more positive note, 2.150 neighbourhoods did not report a single bike being stolen. Here are some tips on how not to get your bike stolen. So perhaps bear those in mind, next time you go for a cross-country cycle!