According to Uber’s 2025 Lost & Found Index, Aussies are world-class when it comes to accidentally donating their personal belongings to the rideshare lost property Gods.
With over 3.8 million of us using Ubers across the country, it’s no wonder the annual list reads like a fever dream after a big night out.
What are Aussies leaving in the back seat of their Ubers?
Sure, everyone expects to see phones, wallets and keys topping the list of most forgotten items — because what’s a Saturday morning without frantically pinging your iPhone from a mate’s number?
But this year’s Index proves that Australia’s collective ability to misplace things is both creative and, frankly, a little concerning. A cooked chicken? Check. An esky full of crabs? Of course. A Steve Irwin toy, a prosthetic leg, and a suspiciously high number of belts? You bet.
And let’s spare a thought for the poor soul who left behind $1,200 worth of meat raffle winnings. That’s not just forgetfulness — that’s a tragedy.
A hall of fame for forgetfulness
Here’s a taste of what made the 2025 Aussie Lost & Found Hall of Fame.
The 30 most unique lost items in 2025:
- Mini Steve Irwin toy
- $500 worth of live exotic fish
- Teeth grills
- Vibrator
- A cooked chicken
- Esky with crabs and fish
- Puppy
- Portable CPAP machine
- Bottom denture
- $1200 meat raffle prize
- Cat scratching post
- Massage table
- Sword
- Breathalyser
- Electric donut maker
- Kung Fu belt
- Rugby ball shaped cufflinks
- Love letter
- Lightsaber
- Breast pump
- Hair extensions
- Jar of bee pollen
- Police documents
- Crochet peas
- Clown nose
- Green gremlin toy
- $400 worth of concert merch
- Bass guitar
- Christmas lights box with $1,500 cash inside
- A “suspicious” amount of belts (okay fellas)
If you’ve ever felt bad about leaving your phone behind, just remember: someone out there is missing a bag of live exotic fish and a clown nose.
The 10 most commonly forgotten items:
- Clothing
- Backpacks / luggage
- Phones
- Jewellery
- Headphones
- Wallets / purses
- Keys
- Laptops
- Vapes
- Glasses
We lose different items on different days
Apparently, Mondays are for hats, Tuesdays and Fridays for jackets, and if you’re losing your iPad, it’s probably on a Wednesday. By the weekend, it’s a free-for-all, with phones going on their own journeys in record numbers on Saturdays and Sundays.
The most popular times to lose your stuff? Either when you’re rushing to work at 8am or stumbling home at 2am — no judgement, we’ve legitimately all been there.
And ‘The Most Forgetful City’ goes to…
In the never-ending Sydney vs Melbourne rivalry, Sydney has finally taken the crown for something: being the most forgetful city in Australia.
Melbourne, of course, comes in a close second, but Sydneysiders are officially the nation’s most likely to leave their dignity (and their dentures) in the back of a Prius.
Australia’s most forgetful cities:
- Sydney, NSW
- Melbourne, VIC
- Perth, WA
- Brisbane, QLD
- Adelaide, SA
- Gold Coast, QLD
- Canberra, ACT
- Newcastle, NSW
- Hobart, TAS
- Cairns, QLD
- Darwin, NT
- Sunshine Coast, QLD
- Geelong, VIC
- Wollongong, NSW
- Ballarat, VIC
How to get your stuff back from Uber
If you’re reading this and realising your fave trinket is still joyriding around town, don’t stress. Uber’s lost and found feature is pretty straightforward: open the app, tap “Activity”, pick your trip, and hit “Find lost item”.
You’ll get to call your driver directly (and yes, you might have to explain what a Labubu is at 7am).
If your driver doesn’t pick up, leave a voicemail describing your item and how to contact you.
If you’ve lost your phone (the most common item, by the way), you can log in to your Uber account from a mate’s phone or a computer and still try your luck.
Mathieu Maire, Uber’s Director of Consumer Operations for Australia and New Zealand, summed it up: “Our Lost & Found Index offers a quintessentially Aussie look at life on the move. People misplace things for all sorts of reasons — maybe they’re in a rush, juggling too much, or just a bit distracted. Behind every lost item, there’s often a little story. Whether it’s your love letter or your lightsaber, we know how important it is to be reunited with your belongings.”
Wait, why am I getting emotional about the bags I’ve left behind in multiple Ubers?
Lead image: Getty / Supplied.
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