Crime Statistics Canada (2025 Update)
- Cindy Peterson
- Jun 29
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 17
How safe is Canada in 2025? The latest crime statistics from Statistics Canada, released in July 2024, give a clear picture of 2023 crime trends and remain the most up to date data available in 2025.
Crime rates in Canada have shifted dramatically.
Violent crime has remained steady, but property crimes like fraud, shoplifting, and motor vehicle theft are rising. Meanwhile, homicide rates have dropped for the first time in years, but extortion and cyber-related offenses continue to climb.
So, what’s really happening? Which crimes are increasing the most? And how does your province compare?
Quick Overview For Crime Statistics In Canada
Overall CSI increased by 2%, continuing an upward trend since 2015.
Non-violent CSI rose by 3%, largely due to fraud (+12%), shoplifting (+18%), and motor vehicle theft (+5%).
Violent CSI remained stable, with declines in homicide (-14%) and sexual violations against children (-10%), but increases in extortion (+35%) and robbery (+4%).
Child pornography cases surged by 52%, the largest contributor to the overall CSI increase
Crime Statistics Canada: Trends & Key Insights
Violent Crime in Canada
Despite previous increases, violent crime levels in 2023 remained nearly unchanged (+0.4%). However, certain crimes saw significant shifts:
Homicide Rates by Region:
British Columbia (-32 homicides), Ontario (-30), and Manitoba (-15) saw the largest drops.
Homicides increased in Newfoundland & Labrador (+5) and across all three territories.
Declines in Violent Crime:
Homicides fell by 14%, with a total of 778 reported cases—the first drop after four consecutive annual increases.
Sexual violations against children declined by 10%.
Increases in Violent Crime:
Extortion cases surged by 35%, marking the fourth consecutive annual increase.
Robbery rates rose by 4%, although they remain 46% lower than 25 years ago.
Assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm increased by 7%.
Non-Violent Crime in Canada: What’s Driving the Increase?
1. Property Crime and Theft:
Shoplifting under $5,000 surged by 18%, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Motor vehicle theft increased by 5%, particularly in Ontario (+16%) and Quebec (+15%). Breaking and entering declined by 5%, continuing a long-term downward trend.
2. Child Exploitation Crimes:
Child pornography cases jumped by 52%, driven by increased reporting and police investigations. British Columbia accounted for 79% of the increase.
3. Fraud and Financial Crimes:
Fraud cases increased by 12%, with over 201,000 incidents reported, nearly double the rate from a decade ago. Extortion cases rose for the fourth straight year (+35%), with 49% of these crimes linked to cybercrime.
Provincial & Territorial Crime Rates
Crime rates vary widely across Canada, with higher CSI values in certain provinces and territories.
Highest Crime Severity Index (CSI) in 2023:
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan recorded the highest provincial Crime Severity Index in Canada. The province continues to face persistent challenges related to violent crime and property crime, which keep its overall CSI elevated compared to national levels.
Manitoba
Manitoba reported some of the highest violent crime rates in the country. Police services across the province continue to deal with high levels of assaults, robberies and other violent offences that contribute to its overall crime burden.
British Columbia
British Columbia saw the largest rise in reported child pornography cases. The increase reflects both a higher volume of digital investigations and improved reporting practices that have led to more incidents being identified by police.
Lowest Crime Severity Index (CSI):
Ontario
Despite an increase in auto theft, overall crime in Ontario remains lower than the national average. The province continues to report comparatively low rates of both violent and non violent offences, keeping its overall crime levels stable.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island has the lowest overall crime rate in Canada. Its small population, high community cohesion and low levels of violent and property crime contribute to consistently low crime indicators across the province.
Hate Crimes in Canada: A Sharp Increase
Police-reported hate crimes increased by 32%, rising from 3,612 incidents in 2022 to 4,777 in 2023. Religious and LGBTQ+ hate crimes saw the highest growth (+67% and +69%, respectively). Public incitement of hatred (+65%) and uttering threats (+53%) were among the most common offenses.
Cybercrime in Canada: The Growing Digital Threat
Cybercrime continues to be a major concern, particularly in fraud, extortion, and child exploitation cases.
Key Cybercrime Statistics for 2023:
79% of child pornography cases involved a cyber element. 24% of fraud cases and nearly half (49%) of extortion cases were classified as cybercrimes. Cyber-enabled crime accounted for 60% of all online criminal activity.
What the 2023 Crime Data Tells Us
The 2023 police-reported crime statistics in Canada highlight a continued rise in non-violent crime, particularly fraud, shoplifting, and cyber-related offenses. Meanwhile, violent crime remained stable, with a notable decrease in homicides but a rise in extortion and robbery.
As crime trends evolve, understanding the data is crucial for law enforcement, policymakers, and citizens looking to improve public safety.
What Is The Crime Severity Index?
The Crime Severity Index (CSI) is a measurement that reflects both the volume and severity of crime in Canada.
Unlike traditional crime rates, which only track the number of incidents per 100,000 people, the CSI also considers the seriousness of crimes based on sentencing patterns.
Want More Insights?
For a closer look at Vancouver itself, our Vancouver Crime Rate report outlines which areas have the highest risks.
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