Halifax is a moderately safe city by Canadian standards: its Crime Severity Index (CSI) was 68.6 in 2025, down 6% from 2024 and about 9% below the national average of 75.0. Its crime rate, however, edged up 2% to 6,094 incidents per 100,000 people — above the Canadian rate of 5,585 — driven largely by a rise in shoplifting. Break-ins and car theft in Halifax are far below the national average.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), Crime Severity Index and incident-based crime tables. Figures are for the Halifax census metropolitan area (CMA), which covers the Halifax Regional Municipality. Comparisons and percentages that are not in the release are our own arithmetic. Updated 5 October 2026.
0 reported incidents on the map
Hotspots show where more crimes were reported in this period. They do not tell you how risky a particular street or home is. Police move each location to the nearest block or intersection to protect privacy.
Is Halifax safe compared with other Canadian cities?
Halifax sits close to the middle of Canada’s 41 census metropolitan areas. Its CSI of 68.6 ranks 21st from the lowest — the lowest of the five Atlantic Canadian metro areas, and well below Western and Prairie cities such as Winnipeg (113.4) or Edmonton (95.6). It is, though, higher than most large Ontario and Quebec metros, such as Toronto (55.0) and Montréal (61.3).
| Area (2025) | Crime Severity Index | CSI change vs 2024 | Crime rate per 100,000 | Rate change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax CMA | 68.6 | -6% | 6,094 | +2% |
| St. John’s CMA | 79.2 | -2% | 6,163 | -8% |
| Moncton CMA | 105.6 | +11% | 7,561 | +6% |
| Saint John CMA | 70.0 | +20% | 4,556 | +3% |
| Fredericton CMA | 80.5 | +7% | 5,734 | +6% |
| Nova Scotia | 73.0 | -3% | 6,147 | +1% |
| Canada | 75.0 | -5% | 5,585 | -2% |
Halifax was one of only two Atlantic metro areas where the CSI fell in 2025; St. John’s was the other.
Why did Halifax’s CSI fall while its crime rate rose?
The two measures count crime differently. The crime rate counts every incident equally, so a shoplifting case counts the same as a robbery. The CSI weights each offence by its seriousness, based on the sentences courts hand down, so a large number of minor thefts moves it much less than a smaller number of serious violent crimes.
In Halifax in 2025, the number of incidents went up mainly because of shoplifting, which carries a low weight. At the same time, more serious categories eased. The result: more incidents overall, but a less severe mix. Halifax’s violent CSI fell from 93.3 to 89.4 and its non-violent CSI from 65.9 to 60.9. See the Crime Severity Index explained for more.
Is crime in Halifax going up or down?
Down in the latest year, after several years of increases. Halifax’s CSI dipped to 61.1 in 2019, then climbed to 73.1 in 2022 and 73.3 in 2024 before falling to 68.6 in 2025. That leaves it about 5% above its 2015 level, a similar long-run change to Canada as a whole.
Crime Severity Index, Halifax metro and Canada, 2015–2025
| Year | Halifax CMA CSI | Canada CSI |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 65.06 | 70.39 |
| 2016 | 63.26 | 72.01 |
| 2017 | 66.03 | 73.60 |
| 2018 | 67.60 | 75.60 |
| 2019 | 61.05 | 79.72 |
| 2020 | 62.30 | 73.92 |
| 2021 | 66.93 | 74.87 |
| 2022 | 73.08 | 78.74 |
| 2023 | 71.83 | 81.27 |
| 2024 | 73.29 | 78.84 |
| 2025 | 68.61 | 75.01 |
What kind of crime is most common in Halifax?
Halifax recorded 33,231 Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) in 2025. Of these, 21,137 were property crimes (3,876 per 100,000, about 3% more than in 2024) and 7,453 were violent crimes (1,367 per 100,000, slightly below the national rate of 1,443).
- Shoplifting ($5,000 or under): 7,855 incidents, 1,440 per 100,000 — up about 23% from 1,170 and nearly three times the national rate of 502. This is the single biggest feature of Halifax’s crime profile.
- Other theft ($5,000 or under): 4,055 incidents, 744 per 100,000, down about 17%.
- Break-ins: 821 incidents, 151 per 100,000 — down about 19% and about 43% below the national rate.
- Vehicle theft: 537 vehicles, 98 per 100,000 — roughly half the national rate of 201, though slightly up from 94.
- Fraud: 2,397 incidents, 440 per 100,000.
- Mischief: 2,769 incidents, 508 per 100,000.
- Assault: 2,654 level 1 assaults and 962 assaults with a weapon or causing bodily harm.
- Robbery: 271 incidents, 50 per 100,000, down from 55.
- Homicide: 11 victims, 2.02 per 100,000, almost unchanged from 2.05 and above the national rate of 1.61. With small numbers like these, one or two cases make a large difference.
In short: Halifax’s high incident count is driven by theft from stores rather than by break-ins at homes or car theft — both of which are notably low here.
Which parts of Halifax record more crime?
We do not publish neighbourhood rankings, and Statistics Canada does not release neighbourhood figures. As in most cities, reported incidents tend to concentrate where people and businesses are concentrated: the downtown core, major shopping centres, nightlife streets and transit terminals. That reflects footfall and retail activity, not the residents of those areas. The Halifax Regional Municipality’s open data hub (linked below) is the right place to look at specific streets.
Is Halifax safe to live in, visit and walk around at night?
For most people, yes. Halifax’s overall crime severity is below the Canadian average, and the crimes that most affect households — break-ins and car theft — are well below national rates. Usual city precautions apply: stay on busy, well-lit routes at night, keep bags closed in crowded places, and do not leave valuables in vehicles.
Some honest context. These figures are reported incidents, not people, and a lot of crime goes unreported: Statistics Canada’s 2019 victimization survey found that only about 29% of incidents reached police. A rise in shoplifting can also reflect changes in how retailers report theft. And Halifax’s weighted clearance rate — a measure of the share of crime solved — was 31.6 in 2025, below the national 36.6.
How do I check crime near a specific address in Halifax?
- Use the official open data. The Halifax Regional Municipality open data hub publishes local datasets, including crime data.
- Use our map. The Canada Crime Map and our Halifax crime map guide explain how to read the official data.
- Compare two areas. Look at the address you are considering next to an area you already know, over the same months and crime types.
- Read the limits. Locations are often generalised to a block, the latest weeks may be missing, and unreported crime is not shown.
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.
Halifax crime FAQ
What is the crime rate in Halifax?
In 2025 Halifax recorded 6,094 Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) per 100,000 people, up 2% from 2024 and about 9% above the national rate of 5,585.
Is Halifax safer than other Atlantic cities?
On crime severity, Halifax (68.6) was lower than St. John’s (79.2), Fredericton (80.5) and Moncton (105.6), and close to Saint John (70.0).
Why is shoplifting so high in Halifax?
Statistics Canada does not give a city-specific reason. What the data shows is that Halifax’s shoplifting rate (1,440 per 100,000) rose about 23% in 2025, while shoplifting also rose 11% nationally for a fifth straight year.
Is car theft a problem in Halifax?
Much less than in most of Canada. Halifax recorded 98 vehicle thefts per 100,000 people in 2025, about half the national rate.
Is crime in Halifax going down?
Crime severity fell 6% in 2025, after reaching a recent high in 2024. The number of incidents per person rose slightly because of shoplifting.
Related: Crime in Atlantic Canada · Is St. John’s safe? · Is Moncton safe? · Shoplifting in Canada · Halifax crime map. In an emergency call 911.
