Police in Canada recorded 208,941 shoplifting incidents of $5,000 or under in 2025, a rate of 502 per 100,000 people and 11% higher than in 2024. It was the fifth yearly increase in a row, and the rate is now 79% above 2015. Shoplifting was the biggest offence pushing against an otherwise falling national Crime Severity Index, which still dropped 5% to 75.0.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), incident-based crime tables by census metropolitan area and province. “Shoplifting” means shoplifting of $5,000 or under. Figures are for the whole census metropolitan area (CMA) unless stated. Comparisons and percentages that are not in the release are our own arithmetic. Updated 5 October 2026.
Is shoplifting going up in Canada?
Yes, according to police-reported data. The shoplifting rate rose from 450 per 100,000 in 2024 to 502 in 2025, an increase of 11%. That makes five consecutive yearly increases, and the 2025 rate was 79% higher than in 2015.
This stands out because most other property crimes moved the other way in 2025:
| Offence (Canada, 2025) | Rate per 100,000 | Change from 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Shoplifting ($5,000 or under) | 502 | +11% |
| Other theft ($5,000 or under) | 805 | -5% |
| Breaking and entering | 264 | -11% |
| Motor vehicle theft | 201 | -16% |
| Mischief | 740 | -5% |
| All property crime | 3,141 | -4% |
Statistics Canada identifies shoplifting as the largest offsetting factor in the 2025 Crime Severity Index: without its rise, the index would have fallen further.
Why is shoplifting rising?
Police data record incidents, not motives, so the figures alone cannot say why shoplifting is increasing. Statistics Canada does point to one factor that may contribute: the availability of online reporting. Where shoplifting can be reported to police online, incidents that might once have gone unreported are more likely to be recorded.
That means at least part of the increase could reflect more reporting rather than more theft. We cannot say how large that effect is, because it is not measured in the published data. It is also worth remembering that a single shoplifting incident is a minor offence, so even a large rise has a limited effect on the severity-weighted index.
Which Canadian cities have the highest shoplifting rates?
Shoplifting rates vary enormously between metro areas. Several mid-sized cities have rates two to five times the national level.
| Census metropolitan area | Shoplifting per 100,000 (2025) | Rate in 2024 | Change (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Bay | 2,726 | 1,277 | +113% |
| Halifax | 1,440 | 1,170 | +23% |
| Greater Sudbury | 1,167 | 580 | +101% |
| Abbotsford–Mission | 1,145 | – | – |
| Edmonton | 1,114 | 889 | +25% |
| Red Deer | 1,087 | – | – |
| London | 1,032 | 946 | +9% |
| Ottawa (Ont. part) | 954 | 962 | -1% |
| Kelowna | 952 | – | – |
| Winnipeg | 885 | 931 | -5% |
| Regina | 810 | 961 | -16% |
| Vancouver | 804 | 707 | +14% |
| Calgary | 749 | 492 | +52% |
| Canada | 502 | 450 | +11% |
Thunder Bay’s rate more than doubled to about 5.4 times the national figure, and Greater Sudbury’s also roughly doubled. Calgary’s rate rose by about half. A dash means the 2024 rate is not in our data extract; Kamloops is not listed because its 2025 shoplifting figure is not in our extract either.
Not every city is rising. Regina, Hamilton (501, down from 602) and Windsor (416, down from 554) all recorded lower rates in 2025.
Ottawa is worth a note. Its shoplifting rate (954) is nearly twice the national level and among the highest of any large metro, yet its overall Crime Severity Index of 50.6 is the lowest of Canada’s six largest metro areas. That is a clear example of how a high count of a minor offence can sit alongside low overall crime severity.
Where is shoplifting lowest?
Quebec’s metro areas have notably low police-reported shoplifting rates: Québec (174), Montréal (193) and Gatineau (214) were all well under half the national rate. Toronto, at 386 per 100,000 (27,132 incidents), was also below average, though its rate rose from 328 in 2024.
Low rates may reflect real differences, but they can also reflect differences in how retailers and police services handle and record minor thefts. Comparisons between provinces should be made with that in mind.
How much of a city’s crime is shoplifting?
Because the crime rate counts every incident equally, a surge in shoplifting can push a city’s overall crime rate up even when more serious crime is stable or falling. Using the 2025 counts, we calculated shoplifting’s share of all police-reported Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic):
| Area | Shoplifting incidents | All incidents | Shoplifting share (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Bay | 3,597 | 11,050 | 33% |
| Greater Sudbury | 2,307 | 9,306 | 25% |
| Halifax | 7,855 | 33,231 | 24% |
| Edmonton | 18,906 | 126,712 | 15% |
| Calgary | 13,766 | 92,551 | 15% |
| Toronto | 27,132 | 277,388 | 10% |
| Canada | 208,941 | 2,326,077 | 9% |
In Thunder Bay, about one in three police-reported incidents in 2025 was shoplifting. That helps explain why its crime rate rose 18% while its overall CSI rose only 3%. Calgary is a similar case on a smaller scale: its crime rate rose 5% even as its CSI fell 3%.
Does a high shoplifting rate make a city less safe?
Not necessarily for residents or visitors. Shoplifting is a crime against businesses, and a high count often reflects the number and size of stores, how actively they report, and whether online reporting is available. A city’s shoplifting rate says little about the risk of being a victim yourself.
It does affect the overall crime rate, which counts every incident equally. That is one reason the Crime Severity Index, which weights offences by seriousness, is often a better guide to how serious crime is in an area.
How do I check retail crime near a specific address?
- Look at your police service’s crime map or open data, for example Ottawa Police open data, Halifax open data or Edmonton neighbourhood crime mapping.
- Check our Canada crime map for metro-level context.
- Expect shopping centres and busy retail streets to show clusters of theft; that reflects where stores are, not risk to shoppers.
- Compare areas over the same period and crime type, and read the limits of each map.
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Shoplifting in Canada FAQ
How much did shoplifting increase in 2025?
The police-reported rate rose 11%, to 502 per 100,000 people (208,941 incidents of $5,000 or under). It was the fifth yearly increase in a row.
How does shoplifting today compare with 2015?
The 2025 rate was 79% higher than in 2015.
Which city has the highest shoplifting rate in Canada?
Thunder Bay, at 2,726 per 100,000 in 2025, followed by Halifax (1,440) and Greater Sudbury (1,167).
Is more shoplifting really happening, or is more being reported?
Possibly both. Statistics Canada notes that online reporting of shoplifting to police in some areas may contribute to the increase, but the size of that effect is not published.
Did other theft go up too?
No. Other theft of $5,000 or under fell 5%, break-ins fell 11% and motor vehicle theft fell 16% in 2025.
Related: Crime rate in Canada 2025 · Is crime going up in Canada? · The Crime Severity Index explained · Is Thunder Bay safe? · Is Halifax safe? · Is Edmonton safe?. Source: Statistics Canada, The Daily. In an emergency call 911.