The insurer said the cost of rural crime in the UK rose by 22% to an estimated £49.5m in 2022, up from £40.5m the previous year. Rising prices and a low supply of farm machinery are thought to be behind an increase in vehicle thefts, with the cost rising 20% to £11.7m last year. GPS theft rose by 15%, or £1.8 million, in 2022, and continued to increase in the first four months of 2023 when the cost of positioning systems doubled compared to the same period the previous year.