The Police-reported Crime Rate in Canada; Is Canada safe enough for living and visiting?

A detailed analysis of police-reported crime in Canada:

• In 2022, the crime rate in Canada experienced shifts as crime rates of theft, breaking and entering, and robbery increased after declining during the pandemic in 2020. Motor vehicle theft had the most significant impact on the overall Crime Severity Index (CSI) increase in 2022, followed by robbery, breaking and entering, minor theft, and shoplifting.
• The crime rate in Canada saw specific changes in 2022 as certain types of property crimes saw increases compared to the previous year but remained lower than the levels recorded in 2019. Shoplifting rose by 31%, minor theft by 10%, and breaking and entering by 4%. Motor vehicle theft also increased by 24% in 2022 and was 17% higher than in 2019.
• Among property crimes, breaking and entering, which was considered the most severe according to the Crime Severity Index (CSI), remained prevalent in the crime rate in Canada. In 2022, police reported nearly 133,000 breaking and entering incidents, accounting for 16% of the CSI, making it the most common violation.
• In 2022, the rate of robbery increased by 15%, marking the first rise in two years. However, the rate remained 10% lower than in 2019. Before the decline observed in 2020, national robbery rates had shown relative stability over the previous five years. Robbery, categorized as a violent violation, contributed to 39% of the increase in the Violent Crime Severity Index (CSI) in 2022.
• In 2022, increasing the crime rate in Canada, the rate of police-reported fraud, including general fraud, identity theft, and identity fraud, was significantly higher, showing a 78% increase compared to a decade earlier. Compared to 2021, fraud saw a 4% increase, with 459 incidents per 100,000 population in 2022. Except for two years of stability in 2020 and 2021, fraud has been steadily rising since 2011.
• The rate of police reported extortion increased for the third consecutive year in 2022 (+39% to 25 incidents per 100,000 population), following similar increases in 2020 and 2021. Overall, the rate of extortion was five times higher in 2022 than in 2012, rising from 5 to 25 incidents per 100,000 population.
• In 2022, the combined offenses of fraud and extortion accounted for 62% of cybercrimes, having their effect on the crime rate in Canada.
• The number of police-reported hate crimes rose by 7% from 3,355 incidents in 2021 to 3,576 incidents in 2022. This comes after a significant 72% increase from 2019 to 2021.
• Hate crimes targeting race/ethnicity and sexual orientation contributed to the majority of the increase (+12%; 1,950 incidents and +12%; 491 incidents, respectively). On the other hand, hate crimes targeting religion decreased by 15% in 2022 but remained higher than the previous three years. Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan played a significant role in the national increase among provinces and territories.
• In 2022, there were 874 homicides reported by police, an increase of 78 compared to the previous year. The crime rate in Canada for homicides rose by 8%, reaching 2.25 homicides per 100,000 population, the highest rate since 1992. The increase was mainly observed in British Columbia, Manitoba, and Quebec. Manitoba and Saskatchewan historically had the highest provincial homicide rates, with 6.24 and 5.94 homicides per 100,000 population, respectively.
• In 2022, the homicide rates in the Northwest Territories (6.58 homicides per 100,000 population), Yukon (4.57 per 100,000), and Nunavut (2.47 per 100,000) were higher than the national average. The territories’ relatively small population counts often lead to more variable annual rates.
• In 2022, police reported 225 Indigenous homicide victims, which was 32 more than in 2021. The homicide rate for Indigenous people was significantly higher at 10.98 homicides per 100,000 population, nearly seven times greater than the rate for the non-Indigenous population at 1.69 homicides per 100,000 population.
• Rate of violent Criminal Code firearm offences up for eighth consecutive year rising 4% in 2022 to 12.2 incidents per 100,000 population.
• In 2022, the rate of police-reported level 1 sexual assault increased by 3%, reaching 90 incidents per 100,000 population, with 1,574 more incidents than the previous year.

The crime rate in Canada vs. the United States

The following table contrast the level of police-reported crime in Canada and the United States based on the survey was performed in July 2023. 11993 and 17345 people respectively in Canada and the United States participated in this survey. The total results indicated that the crime rate in Canada is lower than the United States.