An estimate by Datafolha indicated that one in ten Brazilians had their cell phone stolen or robbed in 12 months, between July 2023 and June of this year. Approximately 2,508 people over the age of 16 were interviewed in all regions of Brazil, between June 11 and 17.
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More than 9% Had Their Cell Phone Stolen or Robbed
Data also indicated that 9.2% of those interviewed responded that they had their cell phone stolen or robbed in the year before the date of the survey. In addition, 15% who reported having been victims of these crimes are residents of capital cities. Another 6% live in the countryside. Among residents of cities with more than 500 thousand inhabitants, even if they are not capital cities, the figure is 14%.
Projection
Datafolha also projects that 14.7 million people were victims during the period surveyed, based on the proportion of interviewees who reported robberies and thefts and the size of the population. This is equivalent to at least 1,680 cell phones stolen by criminals every hour in the country.
Numbers Exceed Official Records
The numbers exceed the number of reports of cell phone thefts and robberies per year in Brazil by more than 14 times. Last year, according to the latest Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, 937,000 robberies and thefts were recorded in the country throughout 2023. This is because a portion of victims do not report the incident. Among those interviewed, only 55% responded that they had made some kind of report of the theft or robbery of their cell phone — that is, underreporting would be 45% of cases.
Changes Due to Fear
Around 53% of those interviewed also said that they have stopped going to certain areas or circulating at certain times for fear of having their cell phone stolen or robbed. Only two in ten interviewees (21%) said that they have insurance against theft or robbery of their smartphone, that is, 79% are not financially protected against this crime. Datafolha also projects that the damage to the population caused by the crimes was R$22.7 billion over 12 months.
Analysis:
The alarming findings from Datafolha’s survey on cell phone thefts and robberies in Brazil underscore the pervasive nature of this crime and its significant impact on society. With an estimated one in ten Brazilians experiencing cell phone theft or robbery in just 12 months, the data reveals a critical public safety issue that extends far beyond the official crime statistics. The disparity between the estimated 14.7 million victims and the 937,000 cases officially reported in 2023 points to a substantial underreporting problem, which not only distorts the true scale of the issue but also hampers effective policymaking and law enforcement strategies. This gap suggests that many Brazilians either lack confidence in the authorities’ ability to address these crimes or view the reporting process as unlikely to yield results.
The broader societal implications of this trend are equally concerning. The fact that over half of those surveyed reported altering their daily routines out of fear of cell phone theft highlights the psychological impact of this crime wave, contributing to a climate of insecurity in both urban and rural areas. Furthermore, the financial toll, estimated at R$22.7 billion in losses over the surveyed period, represents a significant economic burden on individuals and the broader economy.
Source: O Globo; A Folha de SP.
