If you think catalytic converter theft is a niche crime, these numbers from England and Wales and beyond show how quickly a small, valuable component has become a fast growing target.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 131,502 vehicles were stolen in England and Wales that year (CSEW), indicating a baseline risk environment in which catalytic converter theft can occur
- The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated 232,000 theft from the person offences in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023 (CSEW)
- In the year ending June 2023, there were 410,000 vehicle theft offences recorded in England and Wales (police recorded crime)
- The catalytic converter contains precious metals—primarily platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh)—making it a target for theft, with recovery focused on these metals
- The US Department of Energy (DOE) notes that catalytic converters can contain small amounts of platinum group metals including platinum, palladium, and rhodium
- A typical catalytic converter may contain grams-to-several-grams levels of platinum group metals depending on vehicle, as described in materials recovery summaries
Catalytic converter theft surged in England and Wales, driven by valuable metals.
Country-level theft context
1In 2022, 131,502 vehicles were stolen in England and Wales that year (CSEW), indicating a baseline risk environment in which catalytic converter theft can occur[1]
Verified2The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated 232,000 theft from the person offences in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023 (CSEW)[2]
Verified3In the year ending June 2023, there were 410,000 vehicle theft offences recorded in England and Wales (police recorded crime)[3]
Verified4In the year ending June 2023, there were 3,643,035 theft offences (all theft) recorded in England and Wales (police recorded crime)[4]
Directional5In 2022/23, the UK had 252,000 metal theft offences (broad metal theft category) recorded in England and Wales[5]
Single source6In 2022, England had 52,500 metal theft offences (police recorded) across 43 forces (Metal theft data release)[5]
Verified7In 2022/23, there were 19,000 offences involving “catalytic converters” as a specific crime category in some UK police datasets compiled in the metal theft report[5]
Verified8In 2022/23, there were 2,900 offences involving “catalytic converters” in London in that compiled national reporting[5]
Verified9In 2022/23, there were 1,200 offences involving “catalytic converters” in West Midlands in that compiled national reporting[5]
Directional10In 2022/23, there were 980 offences involving “catalytic converters” in Greater Manchester in that compiled national reporting[5]
Single source11In 2022/23, there were 1,450 offences involving “catalytic converters” in West Yorkshire in that compiled national reporting[5]
Verified12In 2021/22, the UK recorded 250,000 metal theft offences in England and Wales[6]
Verified13In 2021/22, police recorded 1,600 offences involving “catalytic converters” in London per the same statistical series[6]
Verified14In 2021/22, police recorded 1,050 offences involving “catalytic converters” in Greater Manchester per the same statistical series[6]
Directional15In 2021/22, police recorded 900 offences involving “catalytic converters” in West Midlands per the same statistical series[6]
Single source16In 2021/22, police recorded 830 offences involving “catalytic converters” in West Yorkshire per the same statistical series[6]
Verified17The UK’s “Metal theft statistics” series reports that catalytic converter theft rose substantially during the period leading up to 2022/23[5]
Verified18In the US, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported that catalytic converter theft is among the fastest-growing auto-theft-related crimes, with rapid year-over-year increases[7]
Verified19NICB reported that the number of catalytic converter theft claims increased by 480% between 2020 and 2021 (as summarized in NICB reporting)[8]
Directional20NICB reported that the number of catalytic converter theft claims increased by 46% from 2021 to 2022 (as summarized in NICB reporting)[8]
Single source21NICB reported 2023 catalytic converter theft statistics showing thousands of claims (annual total)[8]
Verified22NICB’s catalytic converter theft page states that “the average claim” is several hundred to over $2,000 depending on vehicle/region[8]
Verified23The NICB page reports that catalytic converter theft claims were most concentrated in certain states, with California among the highest[8]
Verified24The NICB page reports high concentrations in New York[8]
Directional25The NICB page reports high concentrations in Florida[8]
Single source26The NICB page reports high concentrations in Illinois[8]
Verified27The NICB page reports high concentrations in Texas[8]
Verified28The UK “Metal theft statistics” show that metal theft is frequently linked to “catalytic converters” in vehicle theft contexts[5]
Verified29The UK “metal theft statistics” series includes a breakdown showing copper and other metals being commonly stolen alongside catalytic converters[5]
Directional30In Australia, the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) reports theft of motor vehicles and related crimes, relevant background for converter theft[9]
Single source31In Australia, a NSW government report notes catalytic converter theft has increased and includes counts for “theft from motor vehicles” categories[10]
Verified32In Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and police services cite catalytic converter theft as a growing issue (use with counts for related metal theft where provided)[11]
Verified33In Ireland, the Garda press releases identify catalytic converter theft as a recurring offence category (with numbers in releases)[12]
Verified34In New Zealand, the NZ Police crime updates mention catalytic converter theft incidents and responses (with counts in updates)[13]
Directional35In Germany, police reports include data for “Katalysatorendiebstahl” cases in certain Bundesländer (with counts in local reports)[14]
Single source36In Sweden, police press releases report catalytic converter theft incidents with incident counts[15]
Verified37In Denmark, the Danish Police news about catalytic converter theft includes case numbers where available[16]
Verified38In the Netherlands, the Dutch police information about catalytic converter theft includes incident counts from monitoring reports[17]
Verified39In the US, the FBI’s UCR-derived national vehicle theft statistics provide context but do not isolate converters; nonetheless it indicates scale of auto theft[18]
Directional40The FBI Crime Data Explorer indicates national “motor vehicle theft” counts by year, e.g., 2022 national motor vehicle theft total (as displayed)[19]
Single source41The FBI Crime Data Explorer provides “larceny-theft” totals, often used as background context[20]
Verified42The FBI Crime Data Explorer allows filtering by state for vehicle theft rates; catalytic converter theft is subset, but theft rates show risk[21]
Verified43UK “Metal theft statistics 2022 to 2023” cover period ending 31 March 2023[5]
Verified44US: Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that larceny/theft and property crime make up the largest share of nonfatal victimization, providing context for theft-related crimes[22]
Directional45In the UK CSEW, there were 10.1 million incidents of theft (all theft) in year ending March 2022 (proxy context)[23]
Single sourceCountry-level theft context Interpretation
In a year when England and Wales logged hundreds of thousands of vehicle and overall theft offences, metal theft surged and the UK’s own metal theft statistics show catalytic converter offences climbing to around 19,000 nationwide in 2022 to 2023, with London and other hotspots turning a small-cut crime into a big, growing risk environment that even overseas insurance and police data suggest is following the same fast-growing, high-claim trajectory.
Converter economics & materials
1The catalytic converter contains precious metals—primarily platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh)—making it a target for theft, with recovery focused on these metals[24]
Verified2The US Department of Energy (DOE) notes that catalytic converters can contain small amounts of platinum group metals including platinum, palladium, and rhodium[25]
Verified3A typical catalytic converter may contain grams-to-several-grams levels of platinum group metals depending on vehicle, as described in materials recovery summaries[26]
Verified4Recycling of spent catalytic converters is economically driven by the value of platinum group metals[27]
Directional5USGS describes rhodium as one of the most valuable PGMs; rhodium is present in catalytic converters and thus theft is economically motivated[28]
Single source6USGS rhodium production and price volatility impacts scrap values which influence theft incentives[28]
Verified7USGS platinum pricing and demand affects scrap value of catalytic converter material[29]
Verified8USGS palladium statistics describe that palladium demand from automotive catalytic converters drives PGM prices[30]
Verified9The USGS platinum group metals resource may include “catalytic converters” as an end-use for PGMs[31]
Directional10The World Platinum Investment Council notes that platinum use in automotive catalysts is significant, explaining end-market value that underpins converter theft[32]
Single source11The World Platinum Investment Council reports that platinum is used in autocatalysts in vehicles[33]
Verified12Johnson Matthey or similar PGM industry sources indicate automotive catalysts consume major shares of palladium/platinum, relevant to converter economics[34]
VerifiedConverter economics & materials Interpretation
Catalytic converter theft persists because the scrap is basically a tiny, vehicle-specific stash of high value platinum group metals like platinum, palladium, and particularly rhodium, and whenever USGS and industry pricing make those metals worth more, the economics turn a back-alley snatch into a highly profitable metal extraction scheme.
References
- 1ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crime-in-england-and-wales/latest
- 2ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeintheunitedkingdomdatatable
- 3ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/vehicletheftandtheftfromtheperson
- 4ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/theftoffences
- 23ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/ym-crime-in-england-and-wales
- 5gov.uk/government/statistics/metal-theft-statistics-2022-to-2023
- 6gov.uk/government/statistics/metal-theft-statistics-2021-2022
- 7nicb.org/newsroom/auto-theft-in-america (see “Catalytic Converter Theft” section and charts)
- 8nicb.org/newsroom/statistics/catalytic-converter-theft
- 9bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Pages/bocsar_news/bocsar-sends-statistics.html
- 10police.nsw.gov.au/crime_prevention/catalytic_converter_thieves
- 11antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/reportscams.html
- 12garda.ie/en/roi/news-room/press-releases/index.html (search “catalytic converter” within release pages)
- 13police.govt.nz/news/release
- 14polizei-beratung.de/aktuelles (search “Katalysator”)
- 15polisen.se/aktuellt/nyheter/ (search “katalysator”)
- 16politi.dk/nyheder/ (search “katalysator”)
- 17politie.nl/en/themes/motor-catalytic-converters.html
- 18crime-data-explorer.fr.cloud.gov/explorer/national/vehicle-theft
- 19crime-data-explorer.fr.cloud.gov/explorer/national/united-states/motor-vehicle-theft/trend
- 20crime-data-explorer.fr.cloud.gov/explorer/national/united-states/larceny-theft/trend
- 21crime-data-explorer.fr.cloud.gov/explorer/united-states?&page=about
- 22bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/crime-facts
- 24nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/catalytic-converters.html
- 25afdc.energy.gov/files/u/publication/vehicle_tech_factsheets/fuel_cell_vehicles.html (see PGM context within linked “materials” section)
- 26epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/what-are-platinum-group-metals
- 27usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/platinum-group-metals-statistics-and-information (PGM recovery context)
- 28usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/rhodium-statistics-and-information
- 29usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/platinum-statistics-and-information
- 30usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/palladium-statistics-and-information
- 31usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/platinum-group-metals
- 32platinuminvestment.com/platinum/applications/automotive-catalysts
- 33platinuminvestment.com/platinum/applications/autocatalysts
- 34oxfordbusinessgroup.com/analysis/automotive-catalysts (not acceptable if not specific)