There's no single "most stolen item on Earth," as it varies by category, but electronics (smartphones, laptops) are top for cargo theft, cheese is often cited as the world's most shoplifted food, and cash is universally the most taken during burglaries, while jewelry/precious metals are prime targets in residential theft. Other popular targets include baby formula, high-end cosmetics, alcohol, and branded apparel like sneakers. The Centre for Retail Research +5
1. Cash. Cash is always on the top of burglars' wish list. Unlike other most commonly stolen items that need to be resold in pawn shops or on the street, cash can be used directly and quickly without any conspicuous.
Besides miscellaneous valuables, the most common stolen items across 26 states were jewelry and precious metals. In states like Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, and Colorado, thieves targeted diamonds, gold, silver, and other jewelry more than almost anything else.
The items most frequently stolen during residential break-ins include:
The largest art theft in world history occurred in Boston on March 18, 1990, when thieves stole 13 pieces, collectively valued at $500 million, from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Among the pieces stolen was Vermeer's The Concert, which is considered to be the most valuable stolen painting in the world.
The Guinness Book of Records records its own issues as the most stolen book from public libraries in the United States. It is followed in the ranking by the Christian Bible in its different languages and editions.
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Blacks are almost twice as likely to be robbed as whites; males are about 70% more likely to be robbed than females. About 3 out of 4 people will become victims of a completed or attempted assault; 2 in 5 will be victims of this crime at least twice.
Spirits and Wines
Alcohol like top-shelf liquors and imported wines are some of the most expensive items on grocery store shelves — and the most stolen. In the United States, nearly 3 percent of alcohol is stolen, the highest rate in the world.
Doors and windows are the most common entry points for burglars, so near these entry points is often the first place they look for any valuables. Burglars also know many homeowners hide their house key near the front door, making it easier for them to break in within minutes or even seconds.
Burglars also don't want to spend too long in your house, so they'll likely take off with whatever is handy and profitable. Jewellery, consumer electronics like phones, tablets and laptops as well as portable hardware tools and equipment all rank highly as stolen goods claimed under insurance[1].
Cheese Is Most Stolen Food In The World. A report by the UK's Center for Retail Research found that cheese is the most stolen food in the world. It turns out that about 4 percent of cheese goes missing from stores.
The most sold item in the world is clothing and fashion items. This ranges from women's and men's outfits to children's clothing, shoes, accessories, and more.
Hyundai, Kia, Honda, and Chevrolet dominate the list of most-stolen vehicles, often because of their abundance and certain security vulnerabilities. Online trends have driven up theft rates in specific cars, particularly older ones without modern anti-theft tech.
Males constituted 87.9% of those arrested for robbery.
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The odds of shoplifting were significantly higher in men than in women. Native Americans had higher odds than whites, although blacks, Hispanics, and Asian Americans had lower odds of shoplifting than non-Hispanic whites.
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Crime Rate by Country 2025
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1. International Space Station: $150 Billion. The most expensive thing in the world is the International Space Station, which was designed between 1984 and 1993 in a joint collaboration of NASA (US), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada) with a total cost of USD 150 billion.
At the top of the list is the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle from 1933, which stands out as the most valuable collectible ever sold. This coin, the only legal-to-own version, survived the gold confiscation during the Great Depression and reached an astonishing price of $18.9 million in 2021.
What many don't realize is that scorpion venom is the most expensive liquid in the world. One liter can be sold for around $10 million — and it provides an immediate benefit to humans.