Infographic: Homicide in Canada, 2017

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Release date: November 21, 2018
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Infographic: Homicide in Canada, 2017
Homicide in Canada, 2017

Homicide in Canada, 2017

660 victims of homicide in Canada, 48 more than in 2016.

  • Male victims: 74%
  • Female victims: 26%
660 victims of homicide in Canada, 48 more than in 2016.
Province or territory Number of homicides Change in number of homicides
Canada 660 +48
Newfoundland and Labrador 4 -3
Prince Edward Island 0 0
Nova Scotia 21 +8
New Brunswick 10 -1
Quebec 93 +26
Ontario 196 -10
Manitoba 47 +5
Saskatchewan 37 -17
Alberta 118 +2
British Columbia 118 +30
Yukon 8 +4
Northwest Territories 2 -1
Nunavut 6 +5

1 in 4 homicides were gang-related. The rate of gang-related homicides was up for the 3rd year in a row.

Aboriginal people represented about 5% of Canada's total population in 2017 yet accounted for a higher percentage of homicide victims and accused persons.

ii. Victims of homicideFootnote 1:

  • Aboriginal – 24%
  • Non-Aboriginal – 75%
  • Unknown – 2%

iii. Persons accused of homicideFootnote 1:

  • Aboriginal – 38%
  • Non-Aboriginal – 62%
  • Unknown – 1%

4 out of 5 victims of solved homicides knew their killer.Footnote 2

  • Acquaintance: 32%
  • Family member: 31%
  • Stranger: 17%
  • Criminal relationship: 13%
  • Current or former intimate relationship: 6%
Homicide rates for Canada's largest Census Metropolitan areas
CMA Rate per 100,000 population
Toronto 1.47
Montréal 1.11
Vancouver 2.02
Calgary 2.07
Edmonton 3.49

The homicide rate in 2017 increased by 7% from the previous year, reaching the highest rate since 2009.

There were 266 victims killed by a firearm in 2017, 43 more than in 2016. This was the fourth consecutive increase in the number of firearm homicides and the highest rate since 1992.

Handguns accounted for about six in ten firearm homicides.

Rate per 100,000 population
Year Shooting Stabbing Beating All homicidesFootnote 3
1987 0.76 0.70 0.51 2.4
1988 0.63 0.63 0.52 2.1
1989 0.79 0.62 0.47 2.4
1990 0.70 0.77 0.47 2.4
1991 0.97 0.80 0.51 2.7
1992 0.87 0.74 0.53 2.6
1993 0.68 0.67 0.40 2.2
1994 0.68 0.53 0.37 2.1
1995 0.59 0.62 0.41 2.0
1996 0.72 0.66 0.44 2.1
1997 0.65 0.56 0.38 2.0
1998 0.50 0.62 0.41 1.9
1999 0.55 0.47 0.41 1.8
2000 0.60 0.49 0.42 1.8
2001 0.55 0.55 0.39 1.8
2002 0.48 0.58 0.40 1.9
2003 0.52 0.45 0.39 1.7
2004 0.54 0.64 0.43 2.0
2005 0.69 0.61 0.44 2.1
2006 0.59 0.64 0.37 1.9
2007 0.57 0.57 0.36 1.8
2008 0.60 0.61 0.37 1.8
2009 0.54 0.62 0.35 1.8
2010 0.51 0.49 0.34 1.6
2011 0.46 0.60 0.38 1.8
2012 0.49 0.47 0.33 1.6
2013 0.38 0.55 0.29 1.4
2014 0.44 0.53 0.28 1.5
2015 0.50 0.60 0.38 1.7
2016 0.61 0.48 0.32 1.7
2017 0.72 0.55 0.29 1.8

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Homicide Survey

     

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2018

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

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