Police-reported crime in Canada, 2018
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.
Description: Police-reported crime in Canada, 2018
Police-reported crime in Canada, 2018
The Crime Severity Index (CSI)Footnote 1 was 2% higher than in 2017, marking the 4th consecutive increase after 11 years of declines. The rise in Canada's CSI in 2018 was the result of increases in numerous offences, most notably, fraud, sexual assault (level 1), shoplifting of $5,000 and under, and theft over $5,000.
| Year | CSI |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 104.1 |
| 2005 | 101.3 |
| 2006 | 100.0 |
| 2007 | 95.3 |
| 2008 | 90.6 |
| 2009 | 87.8 |
| 2010 | 82.9 |
| 2011 | 77.6 |
| 2012 | 75.5 |
| 2013 | 68.9 |
| 2014 | 66.9 |
| 2015 | 70.4 |
| 2016 | 72.0 |
| 2017 | 73.6 |
| 2018 | 75.0 |
In 2018, seven provinces and territories reported higher CSIsFootnote 1 and four reported a decrease.
| Province or territory | CSIFootnote 1 value | Change in CSIFootnote 1, 2017 to 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 65.9 | +4% |
| Prince Edward Island | 53.7 | +17% |
| Nova Scotia | 65.2 | -2% |
| New Brunswick | 71.8 | +4% |
| Quebec | 56.6 | -2% |
| Ontario | 60.0 | +6% |
| Manitoba | 125.8 | +6% |
| Saskatchewan | 139.2 | -3% |
| Alberta | 112.1 | 0% |
| British Columbia | 87.7 | 0% |
| Yukon | 170.3 | -7% |
| Northwest Territories | 324.4 | +5% |
| Nunavut | 319.9 | +6% |
Crimes affecting the CSI include:
| Type of offence | Rate |
|---|---|
| Fraud | +13% |
| Sexual assault (level 1) | +15% |
| Shoplifting $5,000 or under | +14% |
| Theft over $5,000 | +15% |
| Type of offence | Rate |
|---|---|
| Breaking and entering | -1% |
| Robbery | -3% |
| Mischief | -3% |
After two years of discussion around sexual misconduct and unfounded sexual assaults, the police-reported rate of sexual assault continued to increase.
- +15% in sexual assault
- 11% classified as unfoundedFootnote 2 in 2018 compared to 14% in 2017
The rate of methamphetamine offences grew by 13%.
Police reported 2,490 opioid offences (excluding heroin) in 2018.
Rate of extortion in Canada up 44% in 2018, continuing the rise since 2012.
651 victims of homicide in Canada, 15 fewer than in 2017
| VictimsFootnote 3 | Number | Homicide rate per 100,000 population |
|---|---|---|
| Indigenous male victims | 96 | 10.14 |
| Indigenous female victims | 44 | 4.54 |
| Non-Indigenous male victims | 388 | 2.23 |
| Non-Indigenous female victims | 119 | 0.67 |
Source: Statistics Canada Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey and Homicide Survey. "Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2018." Juristat. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 85-002-X.
- Date modified: