Homicide in Canada, 2023

Release date: December 11, 2024
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Infographic: Homicide in Canada, 2023
Description: Homicide in Canada, 2023

Nationwide, 778 homicides were reported by police in 2023. Compared with 2022, the national homicide rate decreased by 14% to 1.94 homicides per 100,000 population.

Table 1 Table summary
This table displays the results of . The information is grouped by Province or territory (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).
Province or territory Number of homicides in 2023 Change from 2022
Canada 778 -104
Newfoundland and Labrador 8 5
Prince Edward Island 1 1
Nova Scotia 14 -5
New Brunswick 9 -6
Quebec 101 -10
Ontario 262 -30
Manitoba 74 -15
Saskatchewan 59 -14
Alberta 115 -4
British Columbia 123 -32
Yukon 4 2
Northwest Territories 6 3
Nunavut 2 1

In 2023…

The number and rate of youth under 18 accused of homicide decreased in 2023. However, the proportion of gang-related homicides committed by youth almost doubled—from 16% in 2022 to 31% in 2023.

Table 2 Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 2 , calculated using (appearing as column headers).
  2023 2022
Number of youth accused 64 95
Rate per 100,000 youth 0.85 1.29
  • Gang-related homicides continued to represent approximately one-quarter of all homicides in Canada.
  • Nearly 6 in 10 firearm-related homicides were committed with a handgun.
  • Almost a quarter (26%) of homicide victims were identified as Indigenous,Note 1 a similar proportion as in the previous year.

The homicide rate involving Indigenous victims was 9.31 per 100,00, more than six times the rate for non-Indigenous Canadians. Indigenous people therefore continue to be overrepresented among homicide victims.

  • Victims identified as racialized persons continued to represent almost a third (30%) of all victims.Note 2
  • Nearly one-third of individuals charged with homicide in the previous five years had been in custody or under community supervision at the time of the incident.
  • Among homicide victims, 6% were considered to be a missing person at the time of their death, up from 4% in 2022. Most of them were women.
  • While the number of intimate partnerNote 3 homicides decreased, women continued to be victims more often than man, accounting for 73% of victims.

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Homicide Survey.

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2024

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

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

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