Belgians Left 7,598 Items in Ubers—Including a Birthday Cake
Between April 2025 and February 2026, Belgian Uber passengers left behind 7,598 items in vehicles—a collection ranging from the mundane to the utterly bewildering. According to Uber’s 10th annual Lost & Found Index, reported by Het Laatste Nieuws, the tally includes 559 smartphones, 243 suitcases, 218 wallets, and some far more unusual finds: a frying pan, a ski mask, a doll, braces, and—most memorably—a birthday cake complete with a card and gift, all forgotten in a single ride.
The Usual Suspects
Smartphones top the list as the most commonly forgotten item, a trend that holds true not just in Belgium but globally. Uber’s press release notes that more than 1 million phones were reported lost worldwide over the past year. Wallets and luggage round out the top three in Belgium, reflecting the everyday items passengers carry but often leave behind in the rush to exit a vehicle.
As Uber notes in its anniversary announcement, the Lost & Found Index has evolved into an unexpected cultural time capsule. “From AirPods becoming an everyday essential, to vaccine cards and face masks taking over in 2021, Ozempic making its way into backseats in 2025, and viral Labubu plushies riding shotgun this year,” the company said, “the Lost & Found Index has become an unexpected time capsule of the past decade.”
When Forgetfulness Strikes
The data reveals clear patterns about when Belgians are most likely to leave things behind. The peak window for forgotten items falls between midnight and 3 AM, with the highest concentration around 1 AM—a timeframe that strongly correlates with late-night social activities and bar closing times. Weekends also see a higher volume of lost items compared to weekdays, reinforcing the link between leisure and forgetfulness.
Globally, July 17 went down as the most forgetful day of the year, coinciding with the kickoff of Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball tour. Sundays claimed the title of the most forgetful day of the week, likely driven by brunch outings and the lingering effects of weekend festivities.
A Decade of Peculiar Discoveries
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Uber’s Lost & Found Index, and the company took the opportunity to look back at a decade of bizarre discoveries. The list of most unique items lost over the years reads like a surreal museum catalog: a lobster (2017), divorce papers (2018), a salmon head (2019), a lanyard reading “virginity rocks” (2020), a large painting of Kate Middleton (2021), 500 grams of caviar (2022), a toy poodle reported as “MY DOG IS IN THE CAR!!!” (2023), a fake butt (2024), a taxidermied rabbit (2025), and a 75-gallon fish tank (2026).
The BBC reports that this year’s 50 most unique lost items globally also include dentures with two teeth, breast milk, an ankle monitor, 420 donuts, live fish, two wedding gowns, pelvis implants, and a child’s prosthetic eye.
What the Lost Items Say About Us
The index has become more than a curiosity—it reflects broader societal trends. This year’s data shows Labubu plushies and designer toys frequently left behind, Croc sandals commonly forgotten, and wellness items like pickleball paddles, sea moss, and protein powder making appearances. Vapes and e-cigarettes also featured prominently, while abandoned bouquets and floral arrangements earned their own “Bloom & Doom” category.
For Belgian passengers, the 7,598 items lost over roughly 11 months represent a significant volume of forgetfulness in a country where Uber has a substantial presence. The data serves as a practical reminder to check the back seat before closing the door—especially after a late night out.
Getting Lost Items Back
Uber has introduced an improved lost items experience in its app, allowing users to request a return trip directly through the platform to retrieve their belongings. The feature is currently rolling out in select US markets with plans for nationwide expansion by the end of the year. In the meantime, passengers can still contact their driver through the app’s Activity tab by selecting “I lost an item” to arrange a return.
What to Watch For
As Uber continues to expand its services across Europe, including in Belgium, the annual Lost & Found Index will likely grow as a dataset. The index has already proven itself as an unconventional barometer of consumer behavior—tracking everything from fashion trends to health fads through the items people leave behind. Next year’s report will add another chapter to this decade-long story of human distraction, one forgotten phone (or frying pan) at a time.