Crime in Canada - Statistics & Facts
Crime in general has declined in Canada since 2000 with the 2023 crime rate being around 25 percent lower than peak levels in 2003. When compared to the early 2000s, the severity of crimes committed has also been on the decline, according to the Crime Severity Index (CSI) which tracks crimes committed weighted by their seriousness. The rate of drug-related crime increased slightly over this period but began steadily dropping since 2011. The recent legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada is predicted to further decrease such offenses. The territories with some of the highest violent crime rates include Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon, all of which have violent and property crime rates multiple times higher than the national average.
Homicide, the willful killing of one human being by another, is often used as a key indicator for violent crime as a whole, as it is the most reliably reported violent crime and the easiest to compare against other countries. In 2023, Canada’s homicide rate was 1.94 homicides per 100,000 residents. While this is roughly double that of western European countries it is still about three times lower than its southern neighbor, the United States which stood at six homicides per 100,000 residents in 2022.
Motor vehicle thefts, a category in which Canadian figures exceeded U.S. figures in the past, have declined to the point of being on par with the U.S. or lower overall. In 2023, the rate of motor vehicle thefts in Canada was 286.46 . It is thought that the decreasing rate of these crimes, apart from the influences of the general decline in crime, stem from advances in anti-theft technology.
Homicide, the willful killing of one human being by another, is often used as a key indicator for violent crime as a whole, as it is the most reliably reported violent crime and the easiest to compare against other countries. In 2023, Canada’s homicide rate was 1.94 homicides per 100,000 residents. While this is roughly double that of western European countries it is still about three times lower than its southern neighbor, the United States which stood at six homicides per 100,000 residents in 2022.
Motor vehicle thefts, a category in which Canadian figures exceeded U.S. figures in the past, have declined to the point of being on par with the U.S. or lower overall. In 2023, the rate of motor vehicle thefts in Canada was 286.46 . It is thought that the decreasing rate of these crimes, apart from the influences of the general decline in crime, stem from advances in anti-theft technology.
