Calgary is safer than Edmonton on every headline measure: in 2025 the Edmonton metro area’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) was 95.6, about 55% higher than Calgary’s 61.7, and its crime rate was 7,463 incidents per 100,000 people against Calgary’s 5,038, according to Statistics Canada. Both indexes fell in 2025, and both cities reached their lowest CSI since at least 2015.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), Crime Severity Index (Table 35-10-0026-01) and incidents by violation (Table 35-10-0177-01). Figures are for the Calgary and Edmonton census metropolitan areas (CMAs). Ratios, gaps and rankings that are not in the release are our own calculation from Statistics Canada data. Updated 14 October 2026.
Key facts
- The Edmonton CMA’s Crime Severity Index was 95.6 in 2025, compared with 61.7 for the Calgary CMA and 75.0 for Canada (Statistics Canada, 22 July 2026).
- Edmonton’s crime rate was 7,463 incidents per 100,000 in 2025, about 48% higher than Calgary’s 5,038 (our calculation).
- Edmonton recorded 126,712 Criminal Code incidents in 2025, about 37% more than Calgary’s 92,551, even though the Calgary metro is the larger of the two (our calculation).
- The Edmonton CMA had 32 homicide victims in 2025 (1.88 per 100,000); the Calgary CMA had 15 (0.82 per 100,000).
- Edmonton’s motor vehicle theft rate was 335 per 100,000 in 2025, about 38% above Calgary’s 243.
- Edmonton’s CSI has been higher than Calgary’s in every year from 2015 to 2025; the gap was 33.9 points in 2025 (our calculation).
Is Calgary safer than Edmonton?
Calgary is safer than Edmonton according to Statistics Canada’s 2025 data: the Calgary CMA’s Crime Severity Index of 61.7 was well below Edmonton’s 95.6, and Calgary also had lower rates of violent crime, property crime, homicide, break-ins and car theft. The Crime Severity Index is a measure of police-reported crime that gives more weight to serious offences; Canada’s 2006 level equals 100.
| Measure (2025) | Calgary CMA | Edmonton CMA | Edmonton vs Calgary | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 61.7 | 95.6 | +55% | 75.0 |
| CSI change vs 2024 | −3% | −7% | — | −5% |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 68.5 | 110.5 | +61% | 97.2 |
| Non-violent Crime Severity Index | 59.5 | 90.4 | +52% | 66.8 |
| Crime rate per 100,000 | 5,038 | 7,463 | +48% | 5,585 |
| Crime rate change vs 2024 | +5% | +2% | — | −2% |
| Criminal Code incidents (excl. traffic) | 92,551 | 126,712 | +37% | 2,326,077 |
| Weighted clearance rate | 34.7 | 32.9 | — | 36.6 |
Edmonton vs Calgary column: our calculation from Statistics Canada data. The weighted clearance rate is a severity-weighted measure of the share of crimes solved by police.
Calgary sits below the national average on both the CSI and the crime rate, while Edmonton sits above it on both. Among Canada’s 41 metropolitan areas, Calgary had the 16th-lowest CSI in 2025 and Edmonton the 11th-highest (our ranking of Statistics Canada data). For all 41 metros, see our crime rate in Canada by city table.
How do violent crime and homicide compare?
Violent crime is higher in Edmonton than in Calgary: the Edmonton CMA recorded 1,382 violent incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, about 31% more than Calgary’s 1,057, and its violent Crime Severity Index of 110.5 was about 61% higher than Calgary’s 68.5. Edmonton’s violent CSI is above the national 97.2; Calgary’s is about 30% below it.
| Violent offence, rate per 100,000 (2025) | Calgary CMA | Edmonton CMA | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| All violent crime | 1,057 | 1,382 | 1,443 |
| Homicide (victims) | 0.82 | 1.88 | 1.61 |
| Assault level 1 | 435 | 462 | 528 |
| Assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm | 213 | 238 | 214 |
| Sexual assault level 1 | 49 | 87 | 87 |
| Robbery | 60 | 88 | 55 |
Rates are incidents per 100,000 people (homicide: victims per 100,000). Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01, 2025.
The homicide rate in Edmonton (1.88) was about 2.3 times Calgary’s (0.82) in 2025, our calculation. Both fell from 2024, when Edmonton’s rate was 2.18 and Calgary’s 1.29. The two metros’ violent crime rates were almost unchanged in 2025 (about −1% each), but their violent severity moved in opposite directions: Calgary’s violent CSI fell about 13%, while Edmonton’s rose about 2%.
Which city has more property crime and car theft?
Property crime is more common in Edmonton than in Calgary: the Edmonton CMA recorded 4,531 property incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, about 45% more than Calgary’s 3,135. Property crime rose in both metros in 2025, by about 6% in Edmonton and 8% in Calgary, driven largely by shoplifting.
| Property offence, rate per 100,000 (2025) | Calgary CMA | Edmonton CMA | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| All property crime | 3,135 | 4,531 | 3,141 |
| Breaking and entering | 310 | 414 | 262 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 243 | 335 | 201 |
| Shoplifting ($5,000 or under) | 749 | 1,114 | 502 |
| Fraud | 401 | 521 | 426 |
| Mischief | 384 | 785 | 739 |
- Car theft: Edmonton’s motor vehicle theft rate fell about 16% in 2025 and Calgary’s about 13%, but Edmonton still had the 4th-highest rate among Canada’s metros. Tips are in our car theft in Canada guide.
- Break-ins: Edmonton’s rate fell about 6% to 414 per 100,000; Calgary’s fell about 2% to 310. Both remain above the national 262.
- Shoplifting: Calgary’s rate rose about 52% and Edmonton’s about 25%. Edmonton’s 1,114 per 100,000 is about 2.2 times the national rate (our calculation).
- Mischief: Edmonton’s rate was about twice Calgary’s, the widest gap of any offence in this table.
One offence runs the other way: drug violations were about 21% higher in Calgary (91 per 100,000) than in Edmonton (75), our calculation.
Is crime going down in Calgary and Edmonton?
Crime severity is going down in both cities: the Calgary CMA’s CSI fell 3% in 2025 to 61.7 and the Edmonton CMA’s fell 7% to 95.6, the lowest values for both metros in Statistics Canada’s 2015–2025 series.
| Year | Calgary CMA CSI | Edmonton CMA CSI | Gap (points) | Canada CSI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 79.8 | 103.4 | 23.7 | 70.4 |
| 2017 | 83.9 | 113.7 | 29.8 | 73.6 |
| 2019 | 94.1 | 115.9 | 21.8 | 79.7 |
| 2021 | 72.8 | 97.4 | 24.6 | 74.9 |
| 2023 | 72.7 | 106.5 | 33.9 | 81.3 |
| 2024 | 63.3 | 102.6 | 39.3 | 78.8 |
| 2025 | 61.7 | 95.6 | 33.9 | 75.0 |
Gap = Edmonton CSI minus Calgary CSI, our calculation. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0026-01.
Calgary’s CSI is about 34% below its 2019 peak of 94.1 and about 23% below 2015. Edmonton’s is about 18% below its 2018 peak of 116.6 and about 8% below 2015 (our calculations). Calgary has improved faster, which is why the gap between the two cities widened after 2022. In 2025 the gap narrowed after widening in 2023 and 2024, mainly because Edmonton’s non-violent CSI fell about 11%.
Why does Edmonton have more crime than Calgary?
Statistics Canada does not publish reasons for differences between cities, so any single explanation would be a guess. What the data does show is where the gap comes from: Edmonton’s rates are higher for almost every offence type, and the largest relative gaps are in homicide, mischief, sexual assault level 1 and uttering threats. The gap is not only about population size: the Edmonton CMA recorded about 37% more incidents than the Calgary CMA while having roughly 140,000 fewer residents, based on the population implied by Statistics Canada’s counts and rates (our calculation).
Two cautions apply. First, these are police-reported figures; Statistics Canada estimates that only about 29% of victimizations were reported to police in 2019, and reporting habits can differ between cities. Second, a metro-wide number hides wide differences inside each city. Central areas with nightlife, shopping and transit hubs record more incidents than most residential suburbs. Our Crime Severity Index explainer covers what the index can and cannot tell you.
How do Calgary and Edmonton compare with the rest of Alberta?
Calgary is the lowest-severity metro in Alberta: its 2025 CSI of 61.7 was well below Alberta’s 90.6, while Edmonton’s 95.6 was slightly above the provincial figure. Red Deer (114.4) and Lethbridge (107.7) were higher than both.
For city-by-city detail, read is Calgary safe?, is Edmonton safe? and our most dangerous cities in Alberta ranking.
How to check crime near an address in Calgary or Edmonton
Both police services publish neighbourhood-level information that is more useful for a specific street than any metro-wide index.
- Calgary: open the Calgary Police Service crime statistics page, or start with our Calgary crime map guide.
- Edmonton: use the Edmonton Police Service neighbourhood crime mapping, explained in our Edmonton crime map guide.
- Compare like with like: look at the same offence types over the same period for the area you are considering and an area you know.
- Visit at different times: areas near malls, transit stations and nightlife record more incidents.
Our step-by-step guide how to check crime in your neighbourhood works for any Canadian city, and the national Canada crime map shows every metro side by side.
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Calgary vs Edmonton crime FAQ
Is Calgary safer than Edmonton?
Yes, on Statistics Canada’s 2025 data. Calgary’s Crime Severity Index was 61.7 against Edmonton’s 95.6, and its crime rate was 5,038 per 100,000 against 7,463.
Which city has more crime, Calgary or Edmonton?
Edmonton. The Edmonton CMA recorded 126,712 Criminal Code incidents in 2025, compared with 92,551 in the larger Calgary CMA.
How safe is Edmonton compared with Canada?
Edmonton’s 2025 CSI of 95.6 was about 27% above the national 75.0 (our calculation), although it was the metro’s lowest value since at least 2015.
Does Edmonton have more car theft than Calgary?
Yes. Edmonton’s motor vehicle theft rate was 335 per 100,000 in 2025, compared with 243 in Calgary and 201 nationally.
Which city had more homicides in 2025?
Edmonton had 32 homicide victims (1.88 per 100,000) and Calgary had 15 (0.82 per 100,000), according to Statistics Canada.
Related: is Calgary safe? · is Edmonton safe? · safest big cities in Canada · is Lethbridge safe? · crime rate in Canada by city · Vancouver vs Calgary crime. In an emergency call 911.