Art theft, antique smuggling, tomb raiding, and other intelligence about art crimes are collected from public documents and news reports. Value of the stolen art, insurance payments, and other financial information regarding theft is listed in US Dollars. Click on the statistics to see more information about that specific data.
Art Crimes and Theft Statistics
- Africa Looting95% of cultural property lost to traffickers and looters
- Antique Looter Commission1% of final sale price
- Antique Seizures in Turkey68,000 from 5,000 smugglers in 2010
- Antiquities for Sale on eBay95% fake
- Antiquities Theft Portion of all Art Crimes75%
- Art Pieces Stolen and Looted Artifacts Worldwide$10 Billion
- Art stolen from churches1,785 reported in 2005
- Art Theft Cases in Canada90 to 100 per year
- Art Thieves Commission for Stolen Art1-2% of Sale Price
- Artist with the Most Stolen WorkPablo Picasso
- Artwork Stolen in United Kingdom$482 Million value per year
- Bribe Fee to Pakistan Police$10 per day of digging
- Buddha statue from Pakistan$20,000
- Buddhist Antiques Smuggled out of India3,000 in 2006
- China Artifacts Looted and Entering Art Market5,000 to 12,000 per year
- Confederate General Sword$20,000 to $30,000 for Grave Digger
- FBI Art Theft Recovery Value$142 Million between 2004 and 2010
- Gold and Bronze Coins from Gaza Strip14,000 stolen
- Johor, Malaysia$1 Million market in looted items
- Looted Antiques Returned to Greece1,938 antiques between 1945-2008
- Looted Items Returned from N. America130 between 2006 and 2011
- Macedonia Religious Artifacts10,000 stolen over 10 years
- Museum Thefts Involving Insider90%
- Museum Thefts Per YearAvg of 35 From 1995-2010
- National Museum of Iraq – 200315,000 items looted after US invasion
- National Museum of Iraq – 20106,000 looted items recovered
- Nazi Stolen Works Still Missing100,000 as of 2013
- Number of Stolen Artwork Missing As of 2012350,000
- Recovery of Stolen Art by LAPD$81 Million over 15 years
- Russian Cultural Artifacts Stolen Value$1 Billion over 15 years
- Sales of Fake Native American Artwork$1 Billion per year
- State Museum of Art and Sculpture-Ankara, TurkeyOver 300 pieces stolen
- Stolen Art from Museums$752.5 Million between 2003 and 2008
- Stolen Art Market in Quebec$19.5 Million
- Stolen Art Piece Value When Sold10% of appraised value
- Syrian Antiques Smuggled on to Black MarketSold for $300 to $400
- Top Location of Art Theft40% takes place in UK, 19% in USA
- Where Art is Stolen From: Private Homes52%
- Where Art is Stolen From: Art Galleries10%
- Where Art is Stolen From: Churches8%
Additional information related to art crimes and art theft: