In recent years, the use of bicycles has skyrocketed in the streets of Paris. But this has also led to a proportional increase in bicycle thefts, to the point that last year, one in two owners reported that their beloved bike had already been stolen. However, there's good news; it seems that the number of thefts has been decreasing in recent months!
A Decreasing Risk
For the past few days, the sun has returned to the streets of Paris, and many see it as a great opportunity to take their bike out again after weeks of rain. This decision often comes with a little knot in our stomachs at the thought of having to leave our beloved bike unattended in the street once more. But there’s good news; while the possibility still exists,it seems that it has decreased.
#velo #vol
— Doliprane (@prani_doline) January 22, 2024
Svp on m'a volé mon vélo sur paris
Si quelqu'un le repère 😭😭😭#paris #velo #vol#RERB pic.twitter.com/J1sTdrdFWu
Indeed, according to the recently published figures by the police prefecture, in 2025, in the city center, there were “only” 9,614 bikes stolen (a nice anagram, by the way), compared to 10,573 in 2024, which represents 9.07% less. This change, while relatively modest, is not insignificant and should help reassure some people.
Paris, a unique case in Île-de-France
Unfortunately, this situation, although very appreciated, represents a virtually unique model in the near suburbs, because, apart from Hauts-de-Seine, there is an increase in the number of thefts all around Paris (+12.32% in Val-de-Marne and +13.56% in Seine-Saint-Denis). Across the 4 departments…
studies, the average evolution represents a decrease of just 2.73%.J’ai failli acheter un antivol plus cher que mon vélo ou qu’un Paris - Lisbonne. Comme c’est du vol a ce prix la je ne l’ai pas acheté. pic.twitter.com/gJzCVu0pG1
— Moniki Beloutcha (@MonikiBeloutcha) June 22, 2023
Due to a lack of feedback from users, it's tricky to uncover the reasons behind these figures. However, it's mentioned that there is a stagnation in the number of users in the capital, while the suburbs are seeing an increase, with many people opting for electric bicycles to cover longer distances. These are more expensive bikes that attract more attention, and are reported stolen more often. Indeed, according to various cycling associations, these figures should be taken with a grain of salt, as they rely on the reporting of thefts, and many people don't bother with that in case of an unfortunate incident. So, one piece of advice: let's keep our fingers crossed and stay vigilant…