Canadian police reported 12,132 extortion incidents in 2025, a rate of 29.1 per 100,000 people, down about 10% from 2024 but more than three times the 2015 rate of 8.6, according to Statistics Canada. Extortion peaked in 2023 at 14,109 incidents. British Columbia had the highest rate of any province, and Abbotsford–Mission the highest of any metro area.
Data: Statistics Canada, “Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2025” (The Daily, 22 July 2026) and Table 35-10-0177-01, checked 19 October 2026. Rates are police-reported incidents per 100,000 people. Rankings, shares and percentage changes not in the release are our own calculation from Statistics Canada data. Updated 19 October 2026.
Key facts
- Police in Canada reported 12,132 extortion incidents in 2025 (29.1 per 100,000), the second annual decrease in a row (Statistics Canada, 22 July 2026).
- The extortion rate was 8.6 per 100,000 in 2015; the 2025 rate is about 3.4 times higher (our calculation).
- Extortion peaked in 2023 at 14,109 incidents (35.2 per 100,000).
- Police cleared 1,660 of the 12,132 incidents in 2025, about 14%, and charged 1,361 people (share our calculation).
- British Columbia had the highest provincial rate in 2025, at 47.3 per 100,000, and Ontario one of the lowest, at 20.5.
- Among metro areas, Abbotsford–Mission had the highest rate (87.8 per 100,000) and Barrie the lowest (8.6).
What is extortion?
Extortion is the crime of using threats, accusations, menace or violence to make someone hand over money, property or something else they would not otherwise give. Statistics Canada classifies extortion as a violent crime because it involves coercion, and notes that it is often associated with fraud. It covers a wide range of situations, from threats against businesses to online threats to share private images unless the victim pays (often called sextortion).
How common is extortion in Canada?
Extortion is a relatively rare crime in Canada but one that has grown fast: police reported 12,132 incidents in 2025, about 0.5% of all Criminal Code incidents, compared with 3,055 incidents in 2015 (Statistics Canada; share our calculation). For comparison, police reported 22,930 robberies and 177,472 frauds in 2025.
| Year | Extortion incidents | Rate per 100,000 | Change in rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3,055 | 8.6 | — |
| 2016 | 3,075 | 8.5 | 0% |
| 2017 | 3,186 | 8.7 | +2% |
| 2018 | 4,724 | 12.7 | +46% |
| 2019 | 4,234 | 11.3 | −12% |
| 2020 | 5,659 | 14.9 | +32% |
| 2021 | 6,845 | 17.9 | +20% |
| 2022 | 10,050 | 25.8 | +44% |
| 2023 | 14,109 | 35.2 | +37% |
| 2024 | 13,293 | 32.2 | −9% |
| 2025 | 12,132 | 29.1 | −10% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01. Change in rate is our calculation from the published rates.
The steepest growth came between 2021 and 2023, when the number of incidents roughly doubled. Statistics Canada does not give a reason for the rise or the recent decline, so any single explanation would be speculation.
Is extortion going up in Canada?
Extortion in Canada is no longer rising at the national level: the police-reported rate fell about 9% in 2024 and about 10% in 2025, to 29.1 per 100,000, according to Statistics Canada. It remains far above where it was a decade earlier, more than three times the 2015 rate. Some metro areas moved against the national trend in 2025: the rate rose in Abbotsford–Mission, Victoria, Lethbridge, Red Deer and Québec, among others (our comparison of 2024 and 2025 rates).
Which province has the most extortion?
British Columbia had the highest extortion rate among the provinces in 2025, at 47.3 per 100,000 (2,693 incidents), followed by Quebec (37.1) and New Brunswick (36.6), according to Statistics Canada. Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest provincial rate, at 18.6.
| Province | Extortion incidents (2025) | Rate per 100,000 (2025) | Rate per 100,000 (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 2,693 | 47.3 | 50.8 |
| Quebec | 3,357 | 37.1 | 39.2 |
| New Brunswick | 318 | 36.6 | 44.2 |
| Prince Edward Island | 53 | 29.0 | 41.2 |
| Alberta | 1,313 | 26.1 | 28.8 |
| Manitoba | 378 | 25.0 | 24.4 |
| Saskatchewan | 264 | 20.8 | 29.7 |
| Ontario | 3,339 | 20.5 | 23.6 |
| Nova Scotia | 224 | 20.5 | 23.8 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 102 | 18.6 | 24.0 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01. Canada: 29.1 per 100,000. Territories (2025): Northwest Territories 71.8, Yukon 55.9, Nunavut 26.3, based on small counts.
Ontario and Quebec recorded the most incidents because they are the most populous provinces, but their rates differ: Quebec’s was about 80% higher than Ontario’s in 2025 (our calculation). Manitoba was the only province where the rate edged up in 2025.
Which Canadian cities have the highest extortion rates?
Abbotsford–Mission had the highest extortion rate of Canada’s 41 metropolitan areas in 2025, at 87.8 per 100,000 (196 incidents), about three times the national rate, according to Statistics Canada (ratio our calculation). Six of the ten highest rates were in British Columbia metro areas.
| Highest rates, metro area (CMA) | Rate per 100,000 (2025) | Lowest rates, metro area (CMA) | Rate per 100,000 (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford–Mission | 87.8 | Barrie | 8.6 |
| Chilliwack | 60.2 | Regina | 10.3 |
| Drummondville | 58.8 | Belleville–Quinte West | 11.2 |
| Nanaimo | 56.0 | London | 13.1 |
| Red Deer | 52.9 | Saguenay | 15.3 |
| Lethbridge | 48.8 | Thunder Bay | 15.9 |
| Kamloops | 47.6 | Sherbrooke | 16.0 |
| Victoria | 47.2 | St. John’s | 16.2 |
| Vancouver | 46.8 | Kingston | 16.2 |
| Kelowna | 45.0 | Halifax | 16.3 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01; ranking among 41 census metropolitan areas is our calculation. Small metros can swing sharply from year to year because counts are low.
In Abbotsford–Mission the rate rose about 42% in 2025, from 61.6 to 87.8 per 100,000, the largest increase among the higher-rate metros (our calculation). Elsewhere in the top ten the rate fell, including in Chilliwack (from 77.5), Nanaimo (from 64.3) and Kelowna (from 54.0).
How do Canada’s largest cities compare on extortion?
Among Canada’s six largest metro areas, Vancouver had the highest extortion rate in 2025 (46.8 per 100,000) and Ottawa the lowest (17.2), according to Statistics Canada. The Toronto metro recorded the most incidents of any metro area, 1,671, but its rate of 23.8 was below the national 29.1.
| Metro area (CMA) | Extortion incidents (2025) | Rate per 100,000 (2025) | Rate per 100,000 (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 1,446 | 46.8 | 50.8 |
| Montréal | 1,540 | 33.1 | 36.0 |
| Edmonton | 444 | 26.2 | 35.7 |
| Toronto | 1,671 | 23.8 | 27.1 |
| Calgary | 360 | 19.6 | 20.1 |
| Ottawa (Ont. part) | 227 | 17.2 | 18.0 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01.
All six large metros saw their extortion rate fall in 2025. Edmonton’s dropped the most, by about 27% (our calculation). For the overall picture in these cities, see safest big cities in Canada.
How many extortion cases are solved?
Few extortion cases are solved: police cleared 1,660 of the 12,132 extortion incidents reported in 2025, about 14%, according to Statistics Canada (share our calculation). That compares with about 56% for violent crime as a whole, measured the same way. Low clearance is common for crimes where the offender may be anonymous, online or outside Canada, as with fraud. Our guide how many crimes are solved in Canada compares clearance across offence types and cities.
What to do if someone is trying to extort you
If you are being threatened and are in immediate danger, call 911. Police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre give consistent general advice for extortion attempts, including online ones:
- Do not pay. Payment does not guarantee the threat stops and can lead to further demands.
- Stop contact with the person making the threat, but do not delete anything.
- Keep evidence: screenshots, usernames, messages, payment requests and dates.
- Report it to your local police. Online scams can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, and threats involving images of a young person to Cybertip.ca.
Our guides to reporting a crime in Canada and fraud and scams in Canada cover the reporting routes in more detail.
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Extortion in Canada FAQ
How many extortion cases were there in Canada in 2025?
Police reported 12,132 extortion incidents in Canada in 2025, a rate of 29.1 per 100,000 people, according to Statistics Canada.
Is extortion increasing in Canada?
Not nationally in the last two years. The rate fell about 9% in 2024 and 10% in 2025, but it is still more than three times the 2015 rate of 8.6 per 100,000.
Which province has the highest extortion rate?
British Columbia, at 47.3 incidents per 100,000 people in 2025. Among metro areas, Abbotsford–Mission had the highest rate (87.8).
Is extortion a violent crime in Canada?
Yes. Statistics Canada counts extortion as a violent crime because it involves coercion, even when no one is physically hurt.
Should I pay if someone threatens to leak my photos?
Police advise against paying. Stop contact, keep the evidence and report it to police; threats involving images of a young person can also be reported to Cybertip.ca.
Related: fraud and scams in Canada · violent crime in Canada by city · crime rate in Canada · most dangerous cities in BC · Canada crime map. In an emergency call 911.