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This FACT indicates the victims of household motor vehicle theft as a percentage of each state's population. There were around 60,900 motor vehicles stolen in 2016-17 alone. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, the majority of thefts are carried out by young, opportunistic thieves, who are responsible for every 3 out of 4 cars stolen. It is estimated that vehicle theft costs the community AUD 1 billion each year, and so reducing Australia’s vehicle theft rate is high on the agenda for all tiers of government. The Australian Institute of Criminology has collected useful resources on the subject which supplements its own research. The state/territory with the highest percentage is the Northern Territory, at 1.1 percent. The state with the lowest theft rate is South Australia, at 0.3 percent.