Police personnel and expenditures in Canada, 2023
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Correction Notice
A correction was made to women police officers’ data for the 2023 reference year. This change affects one of the figures in the infographic.
Description: Police personnel and expenditures in Canada, 2023
As of May 15, 2023, there were 71,472 police officers in Canada, 892 more than in 2022. This represents a rate of police strength of 178 officers per 100,000 population, a decrease of almost 2% from 2022.Note 1
| Province/Territory | Number of police officers | Rate of police officers per 100,000 population | Percentage change in rate from 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 868 | 161 | -2.5 |
| Prince Edward Island | 231 | 133 | -1.7 |
| Nova Scotia | 1,812 | 171 | -6.4 |
| New Brunswick | 1,297 | 155 | -1.8 |
| Quebec | 16,750 | 189 | +0.4 |
| Ontario | 26,704 | 171 | -1.1 |
| Manitoba | 2,567 | 176 | -3.4 |
| Saskatchewan | 2,428 | 201 | -0.5 |
| Alberta | 7,977 | 170 | -4.3 |
| British Columbia | 9,268 | 168 | -3.2 |
| Yukon | 146 | 325 | +1.8 |
| Northwest Territories | 195 | 434 | -0.6 |
| Nunavut | 140 | 344 | -7.7 |
Police personnel
- Police officers = 68%
- Civilians = 28%
- Special constables = 2%
- Recruits = 2%
Women in policing
- Gender representation of police officers: Men 77%; Women 23%
- In 2023, there were 324 more women police officers than in 2022.
- Women accounted for 69% of civilian employees, 35% of special constables and 22% of recruits.
Indigenous and racialized police officersNote 2
- 8% of police officers were racialized.
- 4% of police officers were Indigenous.
Calls for service
Across Canada, police services received 11.6 million calls for service.
Police operating expenditures
In 2022/2023, operating expenditures for policing totalled $19.7 billion, up 6% from 2021/2022.
Note: Data on overall police personnel, women in policing, and Indigenous and racialized personnel are based on a “snapshot date” of May 15, 2023. The other data in this infographic represent the calendar year ending December 31, 2022 (or March 31, 2023, as some police services operate on a fiscal year basis). Percentages may not add up because of rounding.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey, 2023.
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