Police in Canada reported close to 14,500 violent crimes involving a firearm in 2024, a rate of 36.0 per 100,000 people, down 4.2% from 2023 but 44% higher than in 2014, according to Statistics Canada (released 21 April 2026). Firearms were involved in 2.6% of violent crimes. In 2025, the more specific firearm offences (use, discharge or pointing) fell 14% and handgun homicides fell 31%.
Data: Statistics Canada, “Firearms and violent crime in Canada, 2024” (The Daily and infographic, released 21 April 2026); police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026); “Firearms and intimate partner violence in Canada” (The Daily, 8 July 2026). Comparisons that are not in these releases are our own arithmetic. Updated 22 October 2026.
The latest full breakdown of gun crime is for 2024. The 2025 release adds national totals for some firearm offences and homicides; we label the year of every figure.
Key facts
- Police reported close to 14,500 firearm-related violent crimes in Canada in 2024, a rate of 36.0 per 100,000 (Statistics Canada, 21 April 2026).
- That rate was down 4.2% from 37.6 in 2023, the largest decrease since 2014, but 44% higher than in 2014 (25.0).
- 49% of firearm-related violent crimes in 2024 involved a handgun.
- Saskatchewan had the highest provincial rate in 2024, 120.1 per 100,000; Prince Edward Island had the lowest, 15.2.
- Toronto’s rate rose 12% to 44.8 per 100,000 in 2024, its highest in 15 years.
- In 2025, police recorded 4,790 incidents of using, discharging or pointing a firearm, down 14%, and handgun homicides fell 31% (Statistics Canada, 22 July 2026).
How much gun crime is there in Canada?
Canadian police reported close to 14,500 violent crimes involving a firearm in 2024 (14,488 in Statistics Canada’s infographic), a rate of 36.0 per 100,000 people. That was 2.6% of all police-reported violent crime, down slightly from 2.7% in 2023 but above 2.4% in 2014.
Firearm-related violent crime is a police-reported violent crime in which a firearm was involved, from robbery or threats with a gun to shootings. It is broader than the firearm-specific offences (such as discharging or pointing a firearm), whose rate more than doubled from 5.4 to 13.2 per 100,000 between 2014 and 2024.
| Measure (Canada) | 2014 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firearm-related violent crimes | 8,635 | — | 14,488 | not yet published |
| Rate per 100,000 | 25.0 | 37.6 | 36.0 | not yet published |
| Share of violent crime involving a firearm | 2.4% | 2.7% | 2.6% | not yet published |
| Use, discharge or pointing of a firearm (incidents) | — | — | 5,513 | 4,790 |
Sources: Statistics Canada, released 21 April 2026 (2014–2024) and 22 July 2026 (2025). — = not stated in the release.
The number of firearm-related violent crimes rose about 68% from 2014 to 2024 (our calculation), faster than the 44% rise in the rate, because the population also grew.
Is gun violence going up in Canada?
Gun violence in Canada fell in 2024 and the available 2025 indicators fell again, but levels remain well above those of a decade ago. The firearm-related violent crime rate dropped 4.2% in 2024, and in 2025 police-reported incidents of using, discharging or pointing a firearm fell 14%, to 12 per 100,000, according to Statistics Canada. That 2025 rate was still 74% higher than in 2015.
Handgun crime has fallen two years in a row. The rate of handgun-related violent crime was 17.6 per 100,000 in 2024, down 4.1%, after peaking at 19.7 in 2022. In 2025, homicides committed with a handgun fell 31%, and gang-related homicides fell from 155 to 119.
Which province has the most gun crime?
Saskatchewan had the highest rate of firearm-related violent crime among the provinces in 2024, at 120.1 per 100,000 people, about 3.3 times the national rate of 36.0 (our calculation from Statistics Canada data). Nunavut (196.8) and the Northwest Territories (194.5) had the highest rates overall.
| Province or territory | Firearm-related violent crime per 100,000 (2024) | Compared with Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Nunavut | 196.8 | 5.5× |
| Northwest Territories | 194.5 | 5.4× |
| Saskatchewan | 120.1 | 3.3× |
| Yukon | 87.9 | 2.4× |
| Manitoba | 81.3 | 2.3× |
| Alberta | 49.3 | +37% |
| New Brunswick | 37.5 | +4% |
| Ontario | 32.3 | −10% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 30.8 | −14% |
| Nova Scotia | 29.8 | −17% |
| Quebec | 25.1 | −30% |
| British Columbia | 20.7 | −43% |
| Prince Edward Island | 15.2 | −58% |
| Canada | 36.0 | — |
Source: Statistics Canada, “Violent crimes involving a firearm in Canada, 2024” (21 April 2026). Comparisons are our calculation.
From 2023 to 2024, the rate rose in Newfoundland and Labrador (+31%), Ontario (+6.3%) and Quebec (+0.8%), and fell most in Prince Edward Island (−46%), British Columbia (−22%) and Alberta (−14%). The Prairie pattern matches overall crime; see crime in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, crime in the territories and the full crime rate by province ranking.
Is gun crime higher in Toronto, Montréal or Vancouver?
Toronto had the highest firearm-related violent crime rate of Canada’s three largest metro areas in 2024, at 44.8 per 100,000, up 12% from 2023 and 54% since 2014, according to Statistics Canada. It was the city’s highest rate in 15 years.
| Census metropolitan area (CMA) | Firearm-related violent crime per 100,000 (2024) | Change since 2014 | Compared with Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 44.8 | +54% | +24% |
| Montréal | 23.2 | −18% | −36% |
| Vancouver | 14.1 | −47% | −61% |
| Canada | 36.0 | +44% | — |
Source: Statistics Canada infographic, 21 April 2026. “Compared with Canada” is our calculation.
Toronto’s rate was about 3.2 times Vancouver’s in 2024 (our calculation), even though Vancouver has the higher overall Crime Severity Index (83.5 against 55.0 in 2025). For the wider comparison, see Toronto vs Montréal vs Vancouver crime.
Is gun crime an urban or rural problem?
Gun crime in Canada is highest in rural northern areas: the firearm-related violent crime rate in the rural north of the provinces reached a new high of 172 per 100,000 in 2024, nearly five times the national rate (our calculation), according to Statistics Canada. It was 167% higher than in 2014.
- Rural north of the provinces: 172 per 100,000 in 2024 (168 in 2023).
- Rural south of the provinces: 40.9 per 100,000, down 3.8% from a high of 42.5 in 2023, but 85% above 2014.
- Territories: peaked at 184 per 100,000 in 2023; 79% higher than in 2014.
How many homicides involve a gun?
Shooting homicides in Canada occurred at a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 people in 2024, down 5.6% from 2023 and still more common than stabbing homicides (0.61), according to Statistics Canada. In 2025, total homicides fell 16% to 672 victims (1.61 per 100,000), with handgun homicides down 31%.
- Gangs: gang-related crime was 4.0% of all firearm-related violent crimes in 2024, but 39% of firearm-related homicides.
- Licences: in 80% of firearm-related homicides in 2024 where the accused was identified, the accused did not have a valid firearm licence.
- Prior contact: 58% of people accused of a firearm-related violent crime in 2024 had been identified as the accused in at least one earlier violent crime from 2018 to 2024, compared with 39% for violent crime without a firearm.
For city homicide figures, see homicide rate in Canada by city and murder capital of Canada; for a cross-border view, see Canada vs US crime rate.
How often are guns used in intimate partner violence?
Police reported 1,096 victims of firearm-related intimate partner violence in Canada in 2024, a rate of 3.1 per 100,000 people aged 12 and older, according to Statistics Canada (released 8 July 2026). These victims were 10% of all victims of firearm-related violent crime.
- Since 2009, 85% of these victims have been women and girls; rates are highest among women aged 18 to 24.
- Since 2020, handguns have been the most common firearm present; in 2024 a handgun was present for 39% of victims.
- From 2009 to 2024, 294 people were killed in firearm-related intimate partner homicides, about 18 a year; 91% were women and girls.
Help lines for people experiencing violence are listed in our guide to safety apps for women in Canada and on the Government of Canada’s Get help now page.
What should I do if I hear gunshots or see a gun?
- Get to safety first. Move away and find cover; do not go to look.
- Call 911 as soon as you are safe, and give the location and what you saw or heard.
- Report information later if you prefer anonymity through Crime Stoppers; our guide on how to report a crime in Canada explains the options.
- Check official data for your area on the Canada Crime Map and in our violent crime by city ranking.
Want this on your phone?
Safety App Canada puts official crime data on a live map, plans walking routes that avoid high-risk areas and sends one-tap SOS alerts to the people you trust. Coming soon to Android and iPhone.
Gun crime in Canada FAQ
How many gun crimes are there in Canada each year?
Police reported close to 14,500 violent crimes involving a firearm in 2024, a rate of 36.0 per 100,000 people, according to Statistics Canada.
Is gun crime increasing in Canada?
No, not in the latest data: the rate fell 4.2% in 2024, and firearm use, discharge or pointing fell 14% in 2025. Both remain well above their levels of ten years earlier.
Which province has the highest gun crime rate?
Saskatchewan, at 120.1 firearm-related violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2024, about 3.3 times the national rate. Among all regions, Nunavut (196.8) was highest.
What percentage of gun crimes involve handguns?
Handguns were involved in 49% of firearm-related violent crimes in Canada in 2024; rifles or shotguns in 14%.
Does Toronto have more gun crime than other cities?
Among the three largest metro areas, yes: Toronto’s rate was 44.8 per 100,000 in 2024, against 23.2 in Montréal and 14.1 in Vancouver.
Related: violent crime in Canada by city · homicide rate by city · Toronto crime map · crime rate by province · Canada Crime Map · Toronto homicides by year. In an emergency call 911.