Yes, Canada is a safe country by the official measures: its Crime Severity Index fell 5% in 2025 to 75.0, and its homicide rate fell 16% to 1.61 per 100,000 people, the lowest since 2014, according to Statistics Canada. Most police-reported crime is property crime, and risk varies a lot by region: Ontario and Quebec, home to about 61% of Canadians, have the lowest crime severity of any province.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), Crime Severity Index and incident-based crime tables; General Social Survey on Canadians’ Safety (2019). Population shares, odds and percentages that are not in the release are our own calculation from Statistics Canada data. Updated 17 October 2026.
This guide is for people who live in Canada or are thinking of moving here. If you are visiting, see our safety tips for tourists in Canada; if you are choosing where to settle, see the safest cities for newcomers.
Key facts
- Canada’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) was 75.0 in 2025, down 5% from 78.8 in 2024 and 37% below 1998 (Statistics Canada, released 22 July 2026).
- Canada recorded 672 homicide victims in 2025, a rate of 1.61 per 100,000, the largest drop since 1986.
- Property crime made up about 56% of the 2,326,077 police-reported incidents in 2025; violent crime made up about 26% (our calculation).
- Break-ins fell 11% and motor vehicle theft fell 16% in 2025, while shoplifting rose 11%.
- In 2019, 80.1% of Canadians said they felt very or reasonably safe walking alone in their area after dark (General Social Survey).
- 25 of Canada’s 41 census metropolitan areas had a CSI below the national 75.0 in 2025 (our calculation).
How safe is Canada overall?
Canada is safer in 2025 than it was in 2023 and far safer than in the 1990s: the national Crime Severity Index of 75.0 was about 8% below the 2023 level of 81.3 and 37% below the 1998 high of 118.8 (our calculation from Statistics Canada data).
The Crime Severity Index is Statistics Canada’s measure of the volume and seriousness of police-reported crime, with 2006 set at 100. It gives a homicide or robbery far more weight than a minor theft. The crime rate is the number of Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) per 100,000 people; Canada’s was 5,585 in 2025, down 2%. For the full national breakdown, see our guide to the crime rate in Canada.
Statistics Canada stresses that the CSI is not a universal indicator of safety. It counts only incidents reported to police, and it says nothing about a specific street. See the official 2025 release.
Is crime in Canada going up or down?
Crime severity in Canada is going down: the national CSI fell in both 2024 and 2025 after rising from 2015 to a recent peak of 81.3 in 2023, Statistics Canada reported on 22 July 2026.
| Year | Crime Severity Index, Canada | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 118.8 | Highest in the series |
| 2006 | 100.0 | Base year |
| 2014 | 66.9 | Lowest in the series |
| 2019 | 79.7 | Before the pandemic |
| 2023 | 81.3 | Recent peak |
| 2024 | 78.8 | First decline |
| 2025 | 75.0 | Second decline (−5%) |
The 2025 level is still 7% above 2015, so the long-term picture is mixed rather than a straight line down. Our article is crime going up in Canada? explains which offences drove each change.
Which provinces and cities are safest?
Ontario (CSI 57.2) and Quebec (61.6) had the lowest crime severity of Canada’s provinces in 2025, while Saskatchewan (146.6) and Manitoba (130.0) had the highest, according to Statistics Canada.
| Province or territory | CSI (2025) | CSI change vs 2024 | Crime rate per 100,000 (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 57.2 | −6% | 4,296 |
| Quebec | 61.6 | −5% | 3,673 |
| Prince Edward Island | 68.4 | −6% | 5,492 |
| Nova Scotia | 73.0 | −3% | 6,147 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 88.7 | −4% | 7,222 |
| New Brunswick | 90.4 | +6% | 6,200 |
| Alberta | 90.6 | −7% | 7,390 |
| British Columbia | 92.4 | −2% | 6,943 |
| Manitoba | 130.0 | −9% | 9,812 |
| Saskatchewan | 146.6 | −5% | 11,938 |
| Yukon | 195.4 | −6% | 19,234 |
| Nunavut | 461.2 | +10% | 57,617 |
| Northwest Territories | 485.9 | −8% | 49,536 |
| Canada | 75.0 | −5% | 5,585 |
About 61% of Canadians live in Ontario and Quebec, the two provinces with the lowest CSI, while the three territories hold about 0.3% of the population but 2.4% of police-reported incidents (our calculation from Statistics Canada counts and rates). Our crime rate by province ranking covers each province in detail, and our guide to crime in the territories explains why northern rates are so high.
Among cities, the Barrie census metropolitan area (CMA) had the lowest CSI in 2025 at 46.9, followed by Saguenay (49.3), Sherbrooke (50.3) and Ottawa (50.6); Chilliwack (134.3) and Kamloops (126.2) had the highest. See the full list of the safest cities in Canada, the most dangerous cities in Canada and the crime rate in Canada by city for all 41 metro areas.
What crimes are most common in Canada?
The most common police-reported crimes in Canada in 2025 were mischief (739 incidents per 100,000 people), level 1 assault (528), shoplifting (502) and fraud (426), according to Statistics Canada.
| Offence | Rate per 100,000 (2025) | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Mischief | 739 | −5% |
| Assault, level 1 | 528 | n/a |
| Shoplifting ($5,000 or under) | 502 | +11% |
| Fraud | 426 | n/a |
| Breaking and entering | 262 | −11% |
| Uttering threats | 234 | n/a |
| Motor vehicle theft | 201 | −16% |
| Robbery | 55 | −6% |
| Homicide (victims) | 1.61 | −16% |
n/a = change not available in our data set. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01.
Everyday property crime is the risk most Canadians are likely to meet. Our guides to car theft in Canada and break-ins in Canada show where those rates are highest.
How likely is violent crime in Canada?
Violent crime in Canada was stable in 2025 at 1,443 police-reported incidents per 100,000 people, while homicide fell to 1.61 victims per 100,000, which works out to about 1 victim for every 62,000 residents (our calculation from Statistics Canada data).
Most homicides are not random. Gang-related homicides fell from 155 in 2024 to 119 in 2025, and handgun homicides fell 31%. Women were disproportionately killed by a spouse or intimate partner: 41% of women victims, compared with 5% of men victims. Statistics Canada counted 175 women and girls among homicide victims in 2025, 67 fewer than in 2024. Our homicide rate by city table lists every metro area, and our guide to safety apps for women covers the intimate partner violence data and where to get help.
Do Canadians feel safe?
Most Canadians feel safe where they live: 80.1% said they felt very or reasonably safe walking alone in their area after dark in 2019, up from 78.7% in 2014, according to Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey.
Perceptions do not always follow the data. In an Angus Reid poll reported by CP24 in January 2026, 62% of Canadians said they believed crime in their community had increased over the previous five years, even though the national CSI fell in both 2024 and 2025. Under-reporting also matters: in 2019, only about 29% of victimizations were reported to police, from about half of break-ins and vehicle thefts to 6% of sexual assaults.
How can I stay safe in Canada?
Staying safe in Canada mostly means guarding against property crime and knowing how to get help quickly. Five practical steps:
- Check your area. Use your local police service’s official map and our Canada crime map; our guide on how to check crime in your neighbourhood explains how.
- Protect your car. Never leave valuables visible and follow our car theft prevention tips.
- Secure your home. Lock doors and windows, light entrances and see our home security tips.
- Watch for scams. Fraud was recorded at 426 incidents per 100,000 people in 2025; read our guide to fraud and scams in Canada.
- Know the numbers. Call 911 in an emergency anywhere in Canada; for non-urgent matters, see how to report a crime in Canada.
Want official crime data 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.
Is Canada safe? FAQ
Is Canada a safe country to live in?
Yes. Canada’s Crime Severity Index fell 5% in 2025 to 75.0, and its homicide rate of 1.61 per 100,000 was the lowest since 2014, according to Statistics Canada.
What is the safest province in Canada?
Ontario had the lowest Crime Severity Index of any province in 2025, at 57.2, followed by Quebec at 61.6. Quebec had the lowest crime rate, at 3,673 incidents per 100,000 people.
What is the safest city in Canada?
The Barrie census metropolitan area had the lowest Crime Severity Index in Canada in 2025, at 46.9, followed by Saguenay (49.3) and Sherbrooke (50.3).
Is crime in Canada increasing?
No. Canada’s Crime Severity Index fell in 2024 and again in 2025, to 75.0, although it remains 7% above its 2015 level of 70.4.
What is the most common crime in Canada?
Property crime is the most common: it made up about 56% of police-reported incidents in 2025, led by mischief, shoplifting and other theft (our calculation from Statistics Canada data).