Lower Hutt is the riskiest area of New Zealand to own a car, with one in 98 cars being stolen or broken into in 2019, new statistics have revealed.
Crime statistics analysed by Finder revealed a car in New Zealand was stolen or damaged every 21 minutes last year.
The area with the second-highest number of break-ins or thefts in 2019 was Palmerston North, according to the research.
It also revealed the South Island's Waimate District had the least car thieves and vandals - with only one in 2084 cars broken into or stolen last year.
Overall, there were 24,416 thefts or break-ins throughout 2019.
"This is up from 21,761 the previous year - an increase of 2655 cars," Finder says.
The research says there's a 16 percent higher chance of cars being stolen or broken into at the weekend, while 3pm is the most likely time for a car-theft incident to occur.
Police revealed earlier this year the Toyota Hilux had been New Zealand's most stolen vehicle between July 2019 and January 2020, with the Holden Commodore coming in second.
Stolen 88 times between that period, the Subaru Legacy came in third.
Top areas for car thefts or break-ins:
- Lower Hutt
- Palmerston North
- Wellington
- Napier
- Auckland
