Ottawa is slightly safer than Toronto on Statistics Canada’s main measure: in 2025 the Ottawa metro area’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) was 50.6, about 8% below the Toronto metro area’s 55.0. The picture is mixed, though. Ottawa had a higher overall crime rate (4,212 incidents per 100,000 against 3,950) and a higher homicide rate, while Toronto had more violent crime and far more car theft.
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). Ottawa figures are for the Ontario part of the Ottawa–Gatineau census metropolitan area (CMA); Toronto figures are for the Toronto CMA. Ratios, gaps and rankings that are not in the release are our own calculation from Statistics Canada data. Updated 19 October 2026.
Key facts
- The Ottawa CMA (Ontario part) had a Crime Severity Index of 50.6 in 2025, compared with 55.0 for the Toronto CMA and 75.0 for Canada (Statistics Canada).
- Ottawa’s crime rate was 4,212 per 100,000, about 7% higher than Toronto’s 3,950, because of much more shoplifting (our calculation).
- Toronto’s violent CSI (71.6) was about 15% higher than Ottawa’s (62.0), and its violent crime rate about 21% higher (our calculation).
- Toronto’s motor vehicle theft rate (238 per 100,000) was about 1.8 times Ottawa’s (130).
- Ottawa’s homicide rate was 1.59 per 100,000 (21 victims), higher than Toronto’s 0.91 (64 victims), after Toronto’s rate halved in 2025.
- Both metros are among the ten lowest CSI values of Canada’s 41 metro areas: Ottawa ranked 4th-lowest and Toronto 8th-lowest (our ranking).
Is Ottawa safer than Toronto?
Ottawa is slightly safer than Toronto overall, according to Statistics Canada’s 2025 data: the Ottawa CMA’s Crime Severity Index of 50.6 was 4.4 points below Toronto’s 55.0, and Ottawa had lower rates of violent crime, assault, robbery 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. Both cities are well below the national average.
| Measure (2025) | Ottawa CMA (Ont. part) | Toronto CMA | Toronto vs Ottawa | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 50.6 | 55.0 | +9% | 75.0 |
| CSI change vs 2024 | −6% | −7% | — | −5% |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 62.0 | 71.6 | +15% | 97.2 |
| Non-violent Crime Severity Index | 46.5 | 48.8 | +5% | 66.8 |
| Crime rate per 100,000 | 4,212 | 3,950 | −6% | 5,585 |
| Criminal Code incidents (excl. traffic) | 55,608 | 277,388 | — | 2,326,077 |
| Weighted clearance rate | 33.8 | 33.7 | — | 36.6 |
Toronto vs Ottawa column: our calculation from Statistics Canada data. Lower value in bold.
The Toronto CMA is about five times the size of the Ottawa CMA’s Ontario part, roughly 7.0 million residents against 1.3 million, based on the population implied by Statistics Canada’s counts and rates (our calculation). Rates per 100,000 make the two comparable. For all 41 metros, see our crime rate in Canada by city table.
Why does Ottawa have a higher crime rate but a lower severity index?
Ottawa has a higher crime rate than Toronto because it records far more low-severity property crime, especially shoplifting, while Toronto records more of the serious offences that weigh heavily in the Crime Severity Index. The Ottawa CMA’s shoplifting rate of 954 per 100,000 in 2025 was about 2.5 times Toronto’s 386, while Toronto’s rates of assault, robbery and car theft were all higher (Statistics Canada; ratios our calculation).
This is exactly why Statistics Canada publishes two measures. The crime rate counts every incident equally; the Crime Severity Index weights each incident by how serious it is, using the sentences courts typically hand down. Our Crime Severity Index explainer walks through the difference.
How do violent crime and homicide compare?
Violent crime is more common in Toronto than in Ottawa: the Toronto CMA recorded 987 violent incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, about 21% more than Ottawa’s 814, and its violent Crime Severity Index of 71.6 was about 15% higher than Ottawa’s 62.0 (Statistics Canada; percentages our calculation).
| Violent offence, rate per 100,000 (2025) | Ottawa CMA (Ont. part) | Toronto CMA | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| All violent crime | 814 | 987 | 1,443 |
| Homicide (victims) | 1.59 | 0.91 | 1.61 |
| Assault level 1 | 294 | 381 | 528 |
| Assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm | 111 | 144 | 214 |
| Sexual assault level 1 | 56 | 61 | 87 |
| Robbery | 47 | 60 | 55 |
| Criminal harassment | 41 | 64 | 86 |
| Uttering threats | 124 | 147 | 234 |
Rates are incidents per 100,000 people (homicide: victims per 100,000). Lower value in bold. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01, 2025.
Homicide is the exception. The Ottawa CMA recorded 21 homicide victims in 2025 (1.59 per 100,000) and the Toronto CMA 64 (0.91 per 100,000), so Ottawa’s rate was about 1.7 times Toronto’s (our calculation). That reversal is recent: Toronto’s homicide rate roughly halved from 1.90 in 2024, while Ottawa’s fell from 2.10. With small numbers, homicide rates can move a lot from one year to the next. Violent crime moved in opposite directions in 2025: Toronto’s violent CSI fell about 14%, while Ottawa’s violent crime rate rose about 3%.
Which city has more property crime and car theft?
Property crime is more common in Ottawa than in Toronto: the Ottawa CMA recorded 2,835 property incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, about 10% more than Toronto’s 2,566, according to Statistics Canada (percentage our calculation). Car theft is the big exception, at almost twice the rate in Toronto.
| Offence, rate per 100,000 (2025) | Ottawa CMA (Ont. part) | Toronto CMA | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| All property crime | 2,835 | 2,566 | 3,141 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 130 | 238 | 201 |
| Breaking and entering | 186 | 169 | 262 |
| Shoplifting ($5,000 or under) | 954 | 386 | 502 |
| Other theft ($5,000 or under) | 441 | 755 | 534 |
| Fraud | 484 | 417 | 426 |
| Mischief | 281 | 284 | 739 |
Lower value in bold. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01, 2025.
- Car theft: Toronto’s rate fell about 27% in 2025 to 238 per 100,000, but it is still about 1.8 times Ottawa’s 130. Neighbourhood detail is in our Toronto car theft by neighbourhood analysis.
- Break-ins: both cities are well below the national rate of 262; Ottawa’s fell about 11% and Toronto’s about 8% in 2025.
- Shoplifting: Ottawa’s rate is one of the highest among Ontario metros and almost double the national rate. See shoplifting in Canada for the national trend.
Is crime going down in Ottawa and Toronto?
Crime severity fell in both cities in 2025: the Ottawa CMA’s CSI dropped 6% to 50.6 and the Toronto CMA’s dropped 7% to 55.0, according to Statistics Canada. Over ten years, both indexes are higher than in 2015, by about 8% in Ottawa and 19% in Toronto (our calculation).
| Year | Ottawa CMA CSI (Ont. part) | Toronto CMA CSI | Higher | Canada CSI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 46.7 | 46.2 | Ottawa | 70.4 |
| 2017 | 50.9 | 50.0 | Ottawa | 73.6 |
| 2019 | 57.0 | 54.5 | Ottawa | 79.7 |
| 2021 | 46.9 | 45.9 | Ottawa | 74.9 |
| 2022 | 52.2 | 52.8 | Toronto | 78.7 |
| 2023 | 54.2 | 59.1 | Toronto | 81.3 |
| 2024 | 54.1 | 59.4 | Toronto | 78.8 |
| 2025 | 50.6 | 55.0 | Toronto | 75.0 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0026-01.
Ottawa’s CSI was higher than Toronto’s every year from 2015 to 2021. Toronto overtook it in 2022, after a sharp rise in 2022 and 2023, and has stayed above it since. The gap narrowed from 5.3 points in 2024 to 4.4 points in 2025 (our calculation).
What about the cities themselves, not the metro areas?
The city police services show the same order: the Toronto Police Service’s CSI was 60.0 in 2025 and the Ottawa Police Service’s 52.2, according to Statistics Canada. The Toronto CMA figure is lower than the city’s because it also includes lower-severity suburbs; York Region’s police service, for example, had a CSI of 50.3. Across the river, the Quebec part of the Ottawa–Gatineau metro area (Gatineau) had a CSI of 60.6.
Inside each city, the variation is far larger than the gap between the two. Our Ottawa crime by neighbourhood analysis uses Ottawa Police open data by ward, and Toronto crime rate by neighbourhood and safest neighbourhoods in Toronto cover all 158 Toronto neighbourhoods.
How to check crime near an address in Ottawa or Toronto
- Ottawa: use the Ottawa Police Service’s open data and crime maps, explained in our Ottawa crime map guide.
- Toronto: use the Toronto Police Service’s public safety data portal, explained in our Toronto crime map guide.
- Compare like with like: the same offence types over the same period for the area you are considering and one you know.
- Visit at different times: nightlife districts, transit hubs and malls record more incidents than most residential streets.
Our step-by-step guide how to check crime in your neighbourhood works anywhere in Canada.
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.
Ottawa vs Toronto crime FAQ
Is Ottawa safer than Toronto?
Slightly, on Statistics Canada’s 2025 data. The Ottawa CMA’s Crime Severity Index was 50.6 against Toronto’s 55.0, and Ottawa had lower violent crime and car theft rates.
Does Ottawa have a higher crime rate than Toronto?
Yes. Ottawa’s crime rate was 4,212 incidents per 100,000 in 2025, compared with 3,950 in Toronto, mainly because of more shoplifting.
Which city has more violent crime, Ottawa or Toronto?
Toronto. Its violent crime rate was 987 per 100,000 in 2025 against Ottawa’s 814, and its violent Crime Severity Index was 71.6 against 62.0.
Which city had more homicides in 2025?
Toronto had more homicide victims (64 against 21), but Ottawa had the higher rate: 1.59 per 100,000 against 0.91.
Is car theft worse in Toronto or Ottawa?
Toronto. Its motor vehicle theft rate was 238 per 100,000 in 2025, about 1.8 times Ottawa’s 130.
Related: is Ottawa safe? · is Toronto safe? · safest big cities in Canada · safest cities in Ontario · Ontario crime map · London, Ontario vs Toronto crime. In an emergency call 911.