Toronto is safer than London, Ontario on the official measures: the Toronto metro area’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) was 55.0 in 2025, about 17% lower than London’s 66.0, and its crime rate of 3,950 incidents per 100,000 people was about 22% lower than London’s 5,059, according to Statistics Canada. Both are below the national CSI of 75.0, and the two have almost the same violent crime rate.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), Tables 35-10-0026-01 (Crime Severity Index), 35-10-0177-01 (incidents by violation) and 35-10-0188-01 (police services in Ontario). Figures are for the London and Toronto census metropolitan areas (CMAs) unless stated. Comparisons, ranks and percentages not in the release are our own arithmetic. Updated 23 October 2026.
This guide compares London, Ontario with Toronto, not London, England. All figures are for calendar year 2025, the latest full year Statistics Canada has published.
Key facts
- The Toronto CMA’s Crime Severity Index was 55.0 in 2025 (down 7%); the London CMA’s was 66.0 (up 8%), according to Statistics Canada (released 22 July 2026).
- London’s crime rate was 5,059 incidents per 100,000 in 2025, about 28% higher than Toronto’s 3,950 (our calculation).
- London and Toronto had almost the same violent crime rate in 2025: 983 and 987 per 100,000.
- London’s shoplifting rate (1,032 per 100,000) was about 2.7 times Toronto’s (386) in 2025 (our calculation).
- Toronto’s car theft rate (238 per 100,000) was about 56% higher than London’s (153) in 2025 (our calculation).
- London’s CSI was higher than Toronto’s in every year from 2015 to 2025; the gap was smallest in 2024 (1.8 points) (our calculation).
Is Toronto safer than London, Ontario?
Toronto is safer than London, Ontario on both headline measures: in 2025 the Toronto CMA had a lower Crime Severity Index (55.0 vs 66.0) and a lower crime rate (3,950 vs 5,059 per 100,000), according to Statistics Canada. London’s CSI was about 20% higher than Toronto’s and its crime rate about 28% higher (our calculation).
The Crime Severity Index is Statistics Canada’s measure of the volume and seriousness of police-reported crime, set to 100 for Canada in 2006. The crime rate is the number of Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) per 100,000 people, with every incident counted equally. Our Crime Severity Index explainer covers the method.
| Measure (2025) | London CMA | Toronto CMA | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 66.0 | 55.0 | 57.2 | 75.0 |
| CSI change 2024–2025 | +8% | −7% | −6% | −5% |
| Violent CSI | 79.6 | 71.6 | n/a | 97.2 |
| Non-violent CSI | 61.1 | 48.8 | n/a | 66.8 |
| Crime rate per 100,000 | 5,059 | 3,950 | 4,296 | 5,585 |
| Crime rate change 2024–2025 | +7% | −5% | −4% | −2% |
| Criminal Code incidents | 32,090 | 277,388 | 698,533 | 2,326,077 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Tables 35-10-0026-01 and 35-10-0177-01. n/a = not in our verified data set.
Toronto had the second-lowest crime rate of Ontario’s 15 CMAs in 2025, after Barrie, and the fifth-lowest CSI. London had the fourth-highest CSI in Ontario, after Thunder Bay, Brantford and Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo (our calculation). See our rankings of the safest cities in Ontario and the most dangerous cities in Ontario.
Which city has more violent crime, London or Toronto?
London and Toronto had almost identical violent crime rates in 2025, 983 and 987 incidents per 100,000 people, both about 32% below the national rate of 1,443, according to our calculation from Statistics Canada data. London’s violent Crime Severity Index was higher, though: 79.6 against Toronto’s 71.6, about 11% more.
| Offence (rate per 100,000, 2025) | London CMA | Toronto CMA | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 983 | 987 | 1,443 |
| Homicide (victims) | 1.10 (7 victims) | 0.91 (64 victims) | 1.61 |
| Robbery | 52 | 60 | 55 |
| Breaking and entering | 208 | 169 | 262 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 153 | 238 | 201 |
| Shoplifting ($5,000 or under) | 1,032 | 386 | 502 |
| Drug violations | 348 | 74 | 144 |
Rates are incidents per 100,000 people (homicide: victims per 100,000). Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01.
Violent crime trends moved in opposite directions in 2025. Toronto’s violent CSI fell about 14% (from 82.95 to 71.57), while London’s rose about 4% (from 76.32 to 79.59). London’s homicide rate of 1.10 was based on 7 victims, so a single case moves it noticeably. Toronto’s 64 victims meant a rate of 0.91, about half its 2024 rate of 1.90. For more, see homicide rate in Canada by city.
Is property crime worse in London or Toronto?
Property crime is generally more common in London than in Toronto: London’s non-violent Crime Severity Index was 61.1 in 2025, about 25% higher than Toronto’s 48.8, according to our calculation from Statistics Canada data. The difference comes mainly from shoplifting, break-ins and drug offences, while car theft is more common in Toronto.
- Shoplifting: 6,548 incidents in London (1,032 per 100,000, up 9%) against 386 per 100,000 in Toronto (up 18%). London’s rate was about double the national 502. See shoplifting in Canada.
- Break-ins: London’s rate of 208 per 100,000 was about 23% above Toronto’s 169, but both were below the national 262. See break-ins in Canada.
- Car theft: Toronto recorded 16,711 stolen vehicles in 2025 (238 per 100,000, down 27% from 325). London’s rate was 153. See car theft in Canada.
- Drug offences: London’s rate jumped from 71 to 348 per 100,000 in 2025, about 4.7 times Toronto’s 74 (our calculation). Statistics Canada’s tables do not explain the jump. See drug crime in Canada by city.
Has London always had more crime than Toronto?
London has had a higher Crime Severity Index than Toronto in every year from 2015 to 2025, according to Statistics Canada, but the gap has narrowed sharply since 2021. It was 32.7 points in 2021, 1.8 points in 2024 and 11.0 points in 2025 (our calculation).
| Year | London CSI | Toronto CSI | Canada CSI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 66.0 | 46.2 | 70.4 |
| 2017 | 70.9 | 50.0 | 73.6 |
| 2019 | 75.1 | 54.5 | 79.7 |
| 2021 | 78.6 | 45.9 | 74.9 |
| 2022 | 74.7 | 52.8 | 78.7 |
| 2023 | 64.8 | 59.1 | 81.3 |
| 2024 | 61.3 | 59.4 | 78.8 |
| 2025 | 66.0 | 55.0 | 75.0 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0026-01. Values rounded to one decimal.
London’s 2025 CSI was almost exactly its 2015 level (65.95 vs 65.96) and about 16% below its 2021 peak of 78.6. Toronto’s CSI rose about 19% from 2015 to 2025 but fell 7% in 2025 from its 2024 high of 59.4 (our calculation).
How do the London and Toronto police services compare?
The London Police Service had a Crime Severity Index of 73.00 in 2025, about 22% higher than the Toronto Police Service’s 59.98, according to Statistics Canada’s police-service table for Ontario (our calculation). Police-service figures cover only each city, not the whole metro area, so they are higher than the CMA values.
| Police service | CSI 2020 | CSI 2024 | CSI 2025 | Violent CSI 2025 | Non-violent CSI 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Police Service | 80.05 | 65.84 | 73.00 | 88.82 | 67.30 |
| Toronto Police Service | 58.55 | 68.62 | 59.98 | 81.11 | 52.04 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0188-01.
In 2024 the Toronto Police Service briefly had the higher index (68.62 vs 65.84); in 2025 London’s rose about 11% and Toronto’s fell about 13% (our calculation).
Which city is safer to live in?
Both London and Toronto are below the national averages for crime severity and violent crime, so either is a reasonable choice on safety alone; Toronto scores better on overall severity, crime rate, shoplifting and break-ins, while London has lower car theft and robbery rates. The Toronto CMA had about 7.0 million residents in 2025 and the London CMA about 634,000 (our estimates from Statistics Canada counts and rates).
Within each city, reported crime concentrates around downtowns, shopping areas and transit hubs, which draw many more visitors than residents. To check a specific street, use the police maps described in our London, Ontario crime map and Toronto crime map guides, or see Toronto crime rate by neighbourhood. Our Canada crime map brings the official figures together by city.
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London vs Toronto crime FAQ
Is London, Ontario safer than Toronto?
No. In 2025 London’s Crime Severity Index was 66.0 and Toronto’s 55.0, and London’s crime rate (5,059 per 100,000) was about 28% higher than Toronto’s (3,950), according to Statistics Canada.
Is Toronto more dangerous than London, Ontario?
Not on the official measures. Toronto had a lower Crime Severity Index and crime rate than London in 2025, and almost the same violent crime rate (987 vs 983 per 100,000).
What is the crime rate in London, Ontario?
The London CMA recorded 5,059 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, up 7% from 2024 and about 9% below the national rate of 5,585.
Is crime going up in London, Ontario?
It rose in 2025: the London CMA’s Crime Severity Index increased 8% to 66.0, after falling every year from 2021 to 2024.
Where is car theft worse, Toronto or London?
Toronto. Its 2025 motor vehicle theft rate was 238 per 100,000, about 56% higher than London’s 153, although Toronto’s rate fell 27% from 2024.
Related: is London, Ontario safe? · is Toronto safe? · Ottawa vs Toronto crime · is Kitchener-Waterloo safe? · is Hamilton safe? · Ontario crime map · crime rate in Canada by city. In an emergency call 911.