Police in Canada reported 4,708 hate crime incidents in 2025, a rate of 11 per 100,000 people and 3% fewer than the 4,841 reported in 2024. Hate crimes are a small share of all police-reported crime, but they affect whole communities, not just the people directly targeted. Like most crimes, they are under-reported, so the true number is higher than police data show.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026). National figures only; our data pack does not include city-level or motivation-level hate crime counts. Comparisons and percentages that are not in the release are our own arithmetic. Updated 5 October 2026.
How many hate crimes were reported in Canada in 2025?
Police services reported 4,708 criminal incidents motivated by hate in 2025. That is a rate of 11 per 100,000 people and 133 fewer incidents than in 2024, a decline of 3%. On average it works out to about 13 police-reported hate crimes a day across the country (our arithmetic).
The decline is modest. It is too small, on its own, to say that the risk of being targeted has fallen meaningfully, particularly given how many incidents are never reported.
What counts as a hate crime in Canada?
In Statistics Canada’s police-reported data, a hate crime is a criminal offence that police determine was motivated by hatred toward an identifiable group. Groups can be defined by characteristics such as race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
Two points are worth separating:
- Hate crimes are underlying offences, such as assault, mischief (including vandalism or graffiti) or uttering threats, where hatred is the motive. They can also include specific offences such as public incitement of hatred.
- Hate incidents are hurtful acts that are not crimes, such as some forms of verbal abuse. They are not counted in these figures, but many police services still want to hear about them.
Who is targeted?
Statistics Canada publishes breakdowns of police-reported hate crimes by motivation, such as race or ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation, in its detailed tables. Those breakdowns are not part of the verified data set we use on this site, so we do not quote motivation figures here rather than risk misstating them. For the latest breakdown, see the Statistics Canada release.
What can be said is that hate crimes are directed at people because of who they are, and their impact reaches beyond individual victims to the wider community that shares the targeted identity.
How does hate crime compare with other offences?
To put the national figure in context, here are some other police-reported offence rates for 2025:
| Offence (Canada, 2025) | Incidents | Rate per 100,000 | Change from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hate crime | 4,708 | 11 | -3% |
| Firearms use, discharge or pointing | 4,790 | 12 | -14% |
| Extortion | 12,132 | 29 | -10% |
| Robbery | 22,942 | 55 | -6% |
| Criminal harassment | 35,618 | 86 | +6% |
| Uttering threats | 97,324 | 234 | – |
Hate-motivated offences are counted within these broader categories as well; the hate crime figure is a separate flag on incidents, not an additional set of crimes. The comparison is only to show scale.
Why are hate crime figures an undercount?
Police-reported data capture only incidents that come to police attention and that police classify as hate-motivated. Several things keep the number below the true level:
- Victims may not report. Statistics Canada’s 2019 General Social Survey found that only about 29% of criminal victimizations overall were reported to police. People targeted by hate may also worry about not being believed or about retaliation.
- Motive can be hard to establish. An incident is recorded as a hate crime only if police find evidence of a hate motive.
- Practices differ. Police services vary in training, specialised units and how they record hate motivation, which affects comparisons between places and over time.
Because of this, a rise in reported hate crime can sometimes reflect greater willingness to report or better police recording, and a fall does not necessarily mean fewer people experienced hate.
What should I do if I experience or witness a hate crime?
- Get to safety first. If anyone is in immediate danger or the incident is happening now, call 911.
- Write down details as soon as you can: what was said or done, time, place, descriptions, and any vehicle details.
- Keep evidence. Photograph graffiti or damage before it is removed and save messages, posts or screenshots.
- Report it to your local police, using the non-emergency line or online reporting if no one is in danger. Mention that you believe it was motivated by hate.
- Look after yourself. Being targeted for who you are can be deeply upsetting. Community organizations and victim services can offer support.
If you witness harassment in public and it is safe to do so, simple actions help: stay nearby, check on the person targeted, and offer to be a witness. Do not put yourself at risk. See how to report a crime in Canada.
Can I see hate crime on a map?
Some police services include hate crime statistics in annual reports or open data, but most public crime maps do not show hate-motivated incidents separately, partly to protect victims’ privacy. Our Canada crime map focuses on the official offence categories published by Statistics Canada and police services.
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Hate crime in Canada FAQ
How many hate crimes were there in Canada in 2025?
Police reported 4,708 hate crime incidents in 2025, a rate of 11 per 100,000 people.
Are hate crimes going up or down?
They fell 3% in 2025, from 4,841 in 2024. The decline is small, and under-reporting means the true level is higher.
Is a hate incident the same as a hate crime?
No. A hate crime is a criminal offence motivated by hate. A hate incident is a hurtful act that may not be a crime. Many police services still accept reports of hate incidents.
Where can I find hate crime figures by motivation?
Statistics Canada publishes these in its detailed hate crime tables and annual releases. We do not reproduce them here because they are not in our verified data set.
Should I call 911 for a hate crime?
Call 911 if anyone is in danger or the incident is happening now. Otherwise, report it to your local police through their non-emergency line or online reporting.
Related: How to report a crime in Canada · Crime rate in Canada 2025 · Violent crime by city · Safest cities for newcomers · Public transit safety. Source: Statistics Canada, The Daily. In an emergency call 911.