Thunder Bay had the highest homicide rate of any Canadian metro area in 2025: 6.06 victims per 100,000 people (8 victims), about 3.8 times the national rate of 1.61, according to Statistics Canada. It also had the highest rate in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Toronto recorded the most homicide victims (64), but one of the lowest rates.
Data: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0071-01 “Number and rate of homicide victims, by Census Metropolitan Areas” (released 22 July 2026, checked 14 October 2026), and police-reported crime statistics for 2025. Rankings, averages and ratios are our calculation from Statistics Canada data. Updated 14 October 2026.
“Murder capital” is a media label, not an official statistic. Each figure below is a person who was killed. We show the numbers plainly so readers can see what they do and do not say about safety.
Key facts
- The Thunder Bay census metropolitan area (CMA) had a homicide rate of 6.06 per 100,000 in 2025, the highest of 42 metro areas (Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0071-01).
- Thunder Bay had the highest metro homicide rate in 4 of the 5 years from 2021 to 2025; Regina was highest in 2021 at 6.17 (our calculation).
- Thunder Bay’s five-year average rate was 6.80 per 100,000 for 2021–2025, about 3.4 times Canada’s average of 1.98 (our calculation).
- Canada recorded 672 homicide victims in 2025, a rate of 1.61 per 100,000, the largest one-year drop since 1986 (Statistics Canada, released 22 July 2026).
- The Toronto CMA had the most victims in 2025 (64), but its rate of 0.91 per 100,000 was below the national rate.
- 18 of 42 metro areas had a 2025 homicide rate above the national 1.61 (our calculation).
What is the murder capital of Canada?
Thunder Bay, Ontario, is the Canadian metro area with the highest homicide rate: 6.06 victims per 100,000 people in 2025, based on 8 victims, according to Statistics Canada. Saint John, New Brunswick (4.87) and Greater Sudbury, Ontario (4.05) were second and third.
A homicide is the killing of a person that police classify as murder, manslaughter or infanticide under the Criminal Code. Statistics Canada counts victims, not incidents, and assigns each homicide to the year police reported it. A census metropolitan area (CMA) is a whole metro region, including suburbs, not just the city proper.
The answer changes depending on the measure. By the number of victims, Toronto leads every year because it is by far the largest metro. By the rate per 100,000 people, which is the fair way to compare places of different sizes, Thunder Bay leads. Read more in our guide to whether Thunder Bay is safe.
Which Canadian cities had the highest homicide rates in 2025?
The ten Canadian metro areas with the highest homicide rates in 2025 were Thunder Bay, Saint John, Greater Sudbury, Abbotsford–Mission, Regina, St. John’s, Kamloops, Peterborough, Winnipeg and Chilliwack, according to Statistics Canada Table 35-10-0071-01.
| Rank (2025) | Census metropolitan area | Homicide victims (2025) | Rate per 100,000 (2025) | Times the national rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thunder Bay, Ont. | 8 | 6.06 | 3.8 |
| 2 | Saint John, N.B. | 7 | 4.87 | 3.0 |
| 3 | Greater Sudbury, Ont. | 8 | 4.05 | 2.5 |
| 4 | Abbotsford–Mission, B.C. | 8 | 3.58 | 2.2 |
| 5 | Regina, Sask. | 10 | 3.45 | 2.1 |
| 6 | St. John’s, N.L. | 8 | 3.41 | 2.1 |
| 7 | Kamloops, B.C. | 4 | 3.22 | 2.0 |
| 8 | Peterborough, Ont. | 4 | 2.72 | 1.7 |
| 9 | Winnipeg, Man. | 23 | 2.48 | 1.5 |
| 10 | Chilliwack, B.C. | 3 | 2.28 | 1.4 |
| – | Canada (all areas) | 672 | 1.61 | 1.0 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0071-01 (released 22 July 2026). Ranks and “times the national rate” are our calculation from Statistics Canada data.
Most of the top ten are small or mid-sized metros where 3 to 10 victims produce a high rate. Winnipeg is the only metro of more than 500,000 people in the 2025 top ten.
Which city has had the highest homicide rate over five years?
Thunder Bay had the highest average homicide rate of any Canadian metro area from 2021 to 2025, at 6.80 per 100,000 per year, followed by Winnipeg (4.68) and Regina (3.70), by our calculation from Statistics Canada data. Averaging five years smooths out the swings that small counts cause in a single year.
| Census metropolitan area | Average rate per 100,000 (2021–2025) | Total victims (2021–2025) | Rate 2024 | Rate 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Bay | 6.80 | 44 | 6.08 | 6.06 |
| Winnipeg | 4.68 | 206 | 4.67 | 2.48 |
| Regina | 3.70 | 50 | 2.11 | 3.45 |
| Chilliwack | 3.51 | 22 | 4.65 | 2.28 |
| Greater Sudbury | 3.39 | 32 | 1.02 | 4.05 |
| Saskatoon | 3.30 | 59 | 3.74 | 2.09 |
| Abbotsford–Mission | 2.91 | 31 | 1.83 | 3.58 |
| Edmonton | 2.61 | 204 | 2.18 | 1.88 |
| Canada | 1.98 | 3,957 | 1.93 | 1.61 |
Average = simple mean of the five annual rates; our calculation from Statistics Canada Table 35-10-0071-01.
Thunder Bay’s highest single year was 2022, at 11.74 per 100,000 (15 victims). Winnipeg’s rate almost halved in 2025, from 4.67 to 2.48, which is why it drops out of the top three for that year. Saint John, second in 2025, averaged 2.13 over five years: its 2025 figure of 7 victims compares with 1 to 3 a year in 2021–2024.
Which city has the most murders in Canada?
The Toronto census metropolitan area had the most homicide victims in Canada in 2025, with 64, followed by Montréal (52), Vancouver (47), Edmonton (32), Winnipeg (23) and Ottawa (21), according to Statistics Canada. Toronto’s count was less than half of the 133 it recorded in 2024.
Because Toronto is home to about 7 million people, its rate of 0.91 per 100,000 was well below the national 1.61 and among the lowest of any large metro; only Calgary (0.82) was lower among the six largest. See is Toronto safe? and our full table of homicide rates in Canada by city, which also covers provinces.
Why do small cities top the homicide rankings?
Small metro areas top homicide-rate rankings because a few cases change the rate a lot: in Thunder Bay, a metro of about 130,000 people (our estimate from the rate and count), each victim adds roughly 0.75 to the rate per 100,000 (our calculation). In Toronto, one victim adds about 0.01.
That is why rankings can swing from year to year. Greater Sudbury went from 1.02 in 2024 to 4.05 in 2025 (2 victims to 8). Kingston recorded 0 victims in 2023 and 6 in 2024. Drummondville, Quebec, recorded no homicides in any year from 2021 to 2025. A single year is a weak guide; several years, plus broader measures such as the violent Crime Severity Index, give a steadier picture.
Thunder Bay stands out because its rate has stayed high for several years, not because of one bad year. Its violent crime rate in 2025 was 2,249 incidents per 100,000 people, about 1.6 times Canada’s 1,443 (Statistics Canada; ratio is our calculation).
Does a high homicide rate mean a city is dangerous?
A high homicide rate does not mean a city is dangerous for most residents or visitors, because homicide is rare and usually involves people who know each other. In 2025, 41% of women and girls killed in Canada were killed by a spouse or intimate partner, compared with 5% of male victims, according to Statistics Canada.
For everyday safety, the overall crime rate and the Crime Severity Index are more useful. On the CSI, the highest metros in 2025 were Chilliwack (134.3), Kamloops (126.2), Red Deer (114.4) and Thunder Bay (114.1). Compare cities in our most dangerous cities in Canada ranking, our violent crime by city guide and the full crime rate in Canada by city table.
Nationally, homicide is falling. The 2025 rate of 1.61 was the lowest since 2014, gang-related homicides fell from 155 to 119, and handgun homicides fell 31%. Among the large metros, Winnipeg (is Winnipeg safe?) and Toronto saw the biggest drops.
How can I check crime near an address?
- Open your local police service’s crime map or open data portal, for example in Regina, Winnipeg or Toronto.
- Use the Canada Crime Map for city-level figures from Statistics Canada.
- Compare the same offence types over several years, not single incidents.
- Remember that map locations are approximate and do not show risk to passers-by.
Want this on your phone?
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Murder capital of Canada FAQ
What city has the highest murder rate in Canada?
Thunder Bay, Ontario, had the highest homicide rate of any Canadian metro area in 2025, at 6.06 victims per 100,000 people (8 victims), according to Statistics Canada.
What city has the most homicides in Canada?
The Toronto CMA had the most homicide victims in 2025, with 64, followed by Montréal with 52 and Vancouver with 47.
Is Winnipeg still the murder capital of Canada?
No. Winnipeg’s homicide rate fell from 4.67 in 2024 to 2.48 per 100,000 in 2025, ninth among 42 metro areas, although it had the second-highest five-year average (4.68).
Which Canadian city had the fewest homicides?
Drummondville, Quebec, recorded no homicides from 2021 to 2025, and Saguenay recorded none in 2025, according to Statistics Canada Table 35-10-0071-01.
Are homicides going down in Canada?
Yes. Canada recorded 672 homicide victims in 2025, down from 797 in 2024; the rate fell 16% to 1.61 per 100,000, the lowest since 2014.
Related: Homicide rate in Canada by city · Is Thunder Bay safe? · Is Saint John safe? · Is Sudbury safe? · Highest crime rate in Canada. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0071-01 · Canada vs US homicide rate · gun crime in Canada · Toronto homicides by year. In an emergency call 911.