Police in Canada recorded 36,284 incidents of level 1 sexual assault in 2025, a rate of 87 per 100,000 people, according to Statistics Canada (released 22 July 2026). The rate was 1% lower than in 2024 but 52% higher than in 2015. Including the more serious levels 2 and 3, police recorded 37,278 sexual assaults (our calculation), and only about 6% of sexual assaults are ever reported to police.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), table “Police-reported crime for selected offences, Canada, 2024 and 2025” and Table 35-10-0177-01 (incidents by census metropolitan area); General Social Survey on Canadians’ Safety (2019) for reporting to police. Totals, shares and comparisons that are not in the release are our own arithmetic. Updated 22 October 2026.
This guide sets out the official numbers calmly and without individual stories. If you need help now, the support lines are listed further down. In an emergency, call 911.
Key facts
- Police recorded 36,284 level 1 sexual assaults in Canada in 2025, a rate of 87 per 100,000 (Statistics Canada, released 22 July 2026).
- The level 1 sexual assault rate fell 1% from 2024 but was 52% higher than in 2015 (Statistics Canada).
- Police recorded 865 level 2 sexual assaults (weapon or bodily harm) and 129 level 3 (aggravated) sexual assaults in 2025.
- Police recorded 13,576 sexual violations against children in 2025, a rate of 33 per 100,000, up 121% since 2015.
- Only about 6% of sexual assaults were reported to police in 2019, according to Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey.
- Level 1 sexual assault made up about 6% of the 601,139 violent incidents police recorded in 2025 (our calculation from Statistics Canada data).
How many sexual assaults are reported in Canada?
Canadian police recorded 37,278 sexual assaults of all three levels in 2025, about 89 per 100,000 people (our calculation from Statistics Canada data), almost unchanged from 37,349 in 2024. Most of them, 36,284, were level 1 sexual assaults. Sexual violations against children, such as sexual interference, are counted separately and added another 13,576 incidents.
| Offence (Canada) | Incidents 2024 | Incidents 2025 | Rate per 100,000 (2025) | Rate change 2024–2025 | Rate change 2015–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sexual assault, level 1 | 36,389 | 36,284 | 87 | −1% | +52% |
| Sexual assault, level 2 (weapon or bodily harm) | 828 | 865 | 2 | +3% | +96% |
| Sexual assault, level 3 (aggravated) | 132 | 129 | near zero | −3% | +7% |
| Sexual violations against children | 13,586 | 13,576 | 33 | −1% | +121% |
| All violent crime | 597,405 | 601,139 | 1,443 | 0% | +35% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, released 22 July 2026. Incidents are counted by the most serious violation in each incident.
The table shows that the police-reported number of sexual assaults was flat in 2025, while the long-term rise since 2015 is larger than the rise in violent crime overall (+52% against +35%).
What is sexual assault level 1, 2 and 3?
Sexual assault is any sexual contact without consent, and the Criminal Code divides it into three levels by how serious the harm or threat is.
- Level 1 sexual assault is a sexual assault without a weapon and without serious physical injury. It is by far the most common level.
- Level 2 sexual assault is a sexual assault involving a weapon or an imitation weapon, threats to a third person, or bodily harm.
- Level 3 sexual assault (aggravated sexual assault) is a sexual assault in which the victim is wounded, maimed or disfigured, or their life is endangered.
A police-reported crime is an incident that police have recorded and confirmed through investigation. It is not the same as the number of people who experience sexual violence, as the next section shows.
Why are so few sexual assaults reported to police?
Only about 6% of sexual assaults in Canada were reported to police in 2019, according to Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey on Canadians’ Safety. By comparison, about 29% of all victimizations were reported, and about half of vehicle thefts, break-ins and robberies.
This has a practical consequence for reading the numbers. Police figures show the cases that reach police, not how often sexual assault happens. Because so few cases are reported, the police-reported rate can rise or fall when more or fewer victims come forward, not only when assaults themselves become more or less common. The long-term increase since 2015 should be read with that in mind.
Is sexual assault going up in Canada?
The police-reported rate of level 1 sexual assault in Canada was 87 per 100,000 in 2025, down 1% from 88 in 2024 but 52% higher than in 2015, according to Statistics Canada. On our calculation, that implies a 2015 rate of roughly 57 per 100,000. The number of incidents moved from 36,389 to 36,284.
The more serious levels are much rarer. Level 2 sexual assaults rose 3% to 865 incidents, and level 3 fell 3% to 129. Sexual violations against children were stable at a rate of 33 per 100,000, but are more than double the 2015 rate (+121%).
For the national context, total violent crime was stable in 2025 at 1,443 incidents per 100,000, while the overall Crime Severity Index fell 5% to 75.0. See crime rate in Canada and is crime going up in Canada?
Which cities have the highest sexual assault rates?
Among Canada’s seven largest metropolitan areas, Winnipeg had the highest police-reported level 1 sexual assault rate in 2025, at 102 per 100,000, about 17% above the national rate of 87 (our calculation from Statistics Canada Table 35-10-0177-01). Calgary had the lowest, at 49 per 100,000.
| Census metropolitan area (CMA) | Level 1 sexual assaults (2025) | Rate per 100,000 (2025) | Compared with Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg | 945 | 102.1 | +17% |
| Edmonton | 1,475 | 86.9 | 0% |
| Montréal | 3,913 | 84.2 | −3% |
| Toronto | 4,316 | 61.5 | −29% |
| Ottawa (Ont. part) | 738 | 55.9 | −36% |
| Vancouver | 1,717 | 55.6 | −36% |
| Calgary | 898 | 48.9 | −44% |
| Canada | 36,284 | 87.1 | — |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01, 2025. Percentage differences are our calculation.
These seven metro areas together recorded about 39% of Canada’s level 1 sexual assaults in 2025 (14,002 incidents, our calculation). Lower rates in large cities do not necessarily mean lower risk: differences in reporting, police practices and support services all affect the counts. For all violent crime by city, see violent crime in Canada by city; for the provinces, see crime rate by province.
Where can I get help after a sexual assault in Canada?
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The Government of Canada’s “Get help now” page (updated 15 April 2026) lists support lines for every province and territory, and it has a “Leave quickly” button that switches the screen to the weather site.
- Find a shelter: the interactive map on ShelterSafe lists women’s shelters across Canada.
- Quebec: Sexual Violence Helpline 1-888-933-9007; CALACS sexual assault centres 1-877-717-5252.
- Alberta: One Line for Sexual Violence 1-866-403-8000.
- Ontario: Assaulted Women’s Helpline 1-866-863-0511.
- Young people (5 to 29): Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868.
- Indigenous peoples: Hope for Wellness 1-855-242-3310.
- If you are in crisis: call or text 9-8-8.
The full list for other provinces is on the official Get help now page. Reporting to police is the survivor’s choice; our guide on how to report a crime in Canada explains the options.
How can I stay safer day to day?
- Share your plans. Tell a trusted person where you are going and when you expect to be back.
- Share your location with people you trust, and review who can see it regularly. Our guide to safety apps for women in Canada compares the options and the privacy risks.
- Plan the trip home. Use lit, busy routes; many universities run escort services, listed in our campus safety guide. See also walking home alone at night.
- Check the area. The Canada Crime Map shows official figures by city.
None of these steps shifts responsibility: the person who commits a sexual assault is responsible for it.
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.
Sexual assault statistics FAQ
How many sexual assaults were reported in Canada in 2025?
Police recorded 37,278 sexual assaults of all levels in 2025 (our calculation), including 36,284 level 1 sexual assaults, according to Statistics Canada.
What is the sexual assault rate in Canada?
The police-reported level 1 sexual assault rate was 87 per 100,000 people in 2025, down 1% from 2024 and up 52% from 2015.
What percentage of sexual assaults are reported to police in Canada?
About 6% of sexual assaults were reported to police in 2019, according to Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey, compared with about 29% of all victimizations.
Which city has the highest sexual assault rate in Canada?
Among the seven largest metro areas, Winnipeg had the highest police-reported level 1 sexual assault rate in 2025, at 102 per 100,000. Calgary had the lowest, at 49.
Is sexual assault increasing in Canada?
The police-reported rate was stable in 2025 (−1%) but 52% higher than in 2015. Because only about 6% of sexual assaults are reported, changes in the rate can also reflect changes in reporting.
Related: violent crime in Canada by city · crime rate in Canada · safety apps for women · youth crime in Canada · Canada Crime Map · family violence in Canada. In an emergency call 911.