According to ONS data, there were 30,848 shoplifting incidents in the North East.
This included 7,923 cases in Cleveland, 7,099 in Durham, and 15,826 in Northumbria.
The percentage change in shoplifting incidents from 2023 to 2024 showed an increase across all North East areas.
Durham and Northumbria both recorded a 29 per cent increase, while Cleveland saw a seven per cent rise.
These figures come as Poundland, a popular bargain retailer, has announced it is investing more money than ever into new security measures to combat retail crime.
Last year, the company lost more than £40 million worth of stock.
Poundland said it has been a particular target of theft and abuse.
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The new investment will include equipping staff with anti-theft technology, including body-worn cameras in stores with the most crime issues.
A trial run by the retailer found that the cameras led to an 11 per cent decrease in violence against staff, as well as a reduction in shoplifting.
Poundland has more than 800 stores in the UK and said the rate of theft and abuse against workers had “accelerated significantly” over the past 18 months.
Last month, Poundland owner Pepco revealed that stock shrinkage, which includes theft and shoplifting, amounted to about 52 million euros (£44 million) over the past year, an increase of 30 per cent over the last two years.
As well as bodycams and headsets for staff to communicate quickly when incidents occur, Poundland said it was working more closely with local police to crack down on offenders and recruit more undercover security guards.
Official figures released in October showed that shoplifting in England and Wales had hit a new 20-year high.
Nearly 470,000 offences were logged by police forces in the year to June 2024, up 29 per cent on the previous year, and the highest annual figure since current records began in 2003.
Poundland said its low prices and high-street locations made it a prime target for shoplifting.