Table 6
Police-reported crime and proportion deemed unfounded, selected offences, Canada, 2019 to 2021


Table 6
Police-reported crime and proportion deemed unfounded, selected offences, Canada, 2019 to 2021
Table summary
This table displays the results of Police-reported crime and proportion deemed unfounded. The information is grouped by Type of offence (appearing as row headers), 2019, 2020, 2021, Reported and Unfounded, calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Type of offence 2019 2020Note r: revised 2021
Reported Unfounded Reported Unfounded Reported Unfounded
number number percent number number percent number number percent
Total Criminal Code (excluding traffic) 2,353,517 143,723 6 2,159,427 129,163 6 2,179,975 124,176 6
Total violent crime 534,289 53,350 10 529,566 48,494 9 552,336 46,235 8
Homicide 687 0 0 759 0 0 788 0 0
Other violations causing deathTable 6 Note 1 131 13 10 135 16 12 116 17 15
Attempted murder 881 6 1 859 7 1 752 6 1
Sexual assault - level 3 - aggravated 134 9 7 147 7 5 129 6 5
Sexual assault - level 2 - weapon or bodily harm 562 27 5 650 26 4 615 17 3
Sexual assault - level 1 33,774 3,439 10 30,912 2,766 9 36,471 2,950 8
Sexual offence occurring prior to January 4, 1983Table 6 Note 2 584 20 3 478 8 2 476 10 2
Sexual violations against childrenTable 6 Note 3 Table 6 Note 4 11,701 1,362 12 11,910 1,165 10 13,528 1,233 9
Assault - level 3 - aggravated 4,035 62 2 3,927 49 1 3,972 54 1
Assault - level 2 - weapon or bodily harm 61,449 1,745 3 67,224 1,723 3 72,328 1,633 2
Assault - level 1 209,553 21,367 10 197,326 18,374 9 201,984 17,449 9
Assault against a peace officer 12,263 41 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 12,319 34 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 12,393 32 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Other assaults 2,560 311 12 2,075 253 12 2,252 334 15
Firearms - use of, discharge, pointing 3,831 287 7 4,548 361 8 4,795 414 9
Robbery 24,696 1,325 5 20,536 1,188 6 19,786 1,256 6
Forcible confinement or kidnapping 4,237 522 12 4,065 555 14 4,090 514 13
Trafficking in personsTable 6 Note 5 450 63 14 450 65 14 411 59 14
Extortion 4,392 158 4 5,789 130 2 6,885 138 2
Criminal harassment 28,284 5,136 18 29,478 4,924 17 31,599 4,544 14
Uttering threats 92,658 11,830 13 96,314 11,496 12 98,254 10,553 11
Indecent or harassing communicationsTable 6 Note 6 27,927 4,596 16 30,559 4,455 15 31,545 4,175 13
Non-consensual distribution of intimate images 2,206 218 10 2,494 244 10 2,697 253 9
Offences in relation to sexual servicesTable 6 Note 7 1,232 71 6 801 45 6 742 38 5
Other violent Criminal Code violations 6,062 742 12 5,811 603 10 5,728 550 10
Total property crime 1,386,324 66,139 5 1,232,401 59,314 5 1,222,030 57,822 5
Breaking and entering 172,897 11355 7 147,944 9877 7 135,105 9569 7
Possess stolen propertyTable 6 Note 8 27,388 1,404 5 24,177 1,222 5 21,348 1,057 5
Theft of motor vehicle 95,683 8,638 9 85,619 7,421 9 90,629 7,341 8
Theft over $5,000 (non-motor vehicle) 22,677 1,312 6 20,922 1,158 6 21,965 1,291 6
Shoplifting of $5,000 or under 142,367 1,952 1 93,227 1,880 2 96,921 1,912 2
Theft of $5,000 or under (non-motor vehicle) 444,416 19,773 4 363,663 17,584 5 352,984 17,538 5
Fraud 148,360 6,347 4 143,668 5,619 4 143,008 5,399 4
Identity theft 4,902 170 3 7,569 189 2 7,336 154 2
Identity fraud 20,402 430 2 23,418 477 2 24,097 405 2
MischiefTable 6 Note 9 297,694 13,438 5 312,029 12,653 4 317,287 11,925 4
Arson 9,538 1,320 14 10,165 1,234 12 11,350 1,231 11
Total other Criminal Code offences 432,904 24,234 6 397,460 21,355 5 405,609 20,119 5
Weapons violations 21,380 2,647 12 21,676 2,133 10 22,298 2,343 11
Child pornographyTable 6 Note 10 Table 6 Note 11 9,788 911 9 12,086 918 8 12,455 665 5
ProstitutionTable 6 Note 7 147 8 5 78 10 13 48 3 6
TerrorismTable 6 Note 12 174 78 45 163 94 58 103 46 45
Disturb the peace 114,518 5,714 5 113,573 4,591 4 112,342 4,127 4
Administration of justice violations 250,275 11,336 5 214,773 10,202 5 222,869 9,855 4
Other violations 36,622 3,540 10 35,111 3,407 10 35,494 3,080 9
Total Criminal Code traffic violations 140,772 3,697 3 129,138 3,263 3 121,979 2,873 2
Alcohol-impaired drivingTable 6 Note 13 75,492 2,509 3 63,709 2,146 3 57,607 1,876 3
Drug-impaired drivingTable 6 Note 14 6,837 364 5 8,010 389 5 8,045 355 4
Alcohol- and drug-impaired drivingTable 6 Note 15 4,933 454 9 7,424 360 5 5,992 341 6
Impaired driving (not specified)Table 6 Note 15 2,060 191 9 1,836 246 13 2,636 213 8
Other Criminal Code traffic violations 51,450 179 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 48,159 122 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 47,699 88 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Total drug offences 71,953 2,004 3 69,194 1,708 2 63,088 1,290 2
Total other federal statute violations 25,391 1,713 7 21,558 2,724 13 20,740 2,080 10
Human trafficking under the Immigration and Refugee Protection ActTable 6 Note 16 175 16 9 184 16 9 218 18 8
Youth Criminal Justice Act 2,880 57 2 1,741 18 1 1,025 10 1
Quarantine ActTable 6 Note 17 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 1,224 292 24 2,389 174 7
Other federal statutes 22,336 1,640 7 18,409 2,398 13 17,108 1,878 11
Total - all violations 2,591,633 151,137 6 2,379,317 136,858 6 2,385,782 130,419 5
... not applicable
0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
r revised
Note 1

Includes, for example, criminal negligence causing death.

Return to note 1 referrer

Note 2

In 2019, the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey added a new violation code to collect information on “sexual offences which occurred prior to January 4, 1983.” While most violations are not typically reported years after their occurrence, sexual violations may be reported by a victim long after the incident took place due to a variety of reasons. On January 4, 1983, Canadian legislation surrounding sexual offences changed considerably. In order to reflect these changes, the Survey added the new violation code rather than collect historical offences under an existing violation code that did not reflect the state of Canadian legislation at the time of the offence.

Return to note 2 referrer

Note 3

Excludes sexual assaults against children and youth, which are reported as level 1, 2 or 3 sexual assault.

Return to note 3 referrer

Note 4

Includes sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, sexual exploitation, luring a child via telecommunications/agreement or arrangement, making sexually explicit material available to a child for the purpose of facilitating sexual offences against children/youth, and the offences of parent or guardian procuring sexual activity, householder permitting prohibited sexual activity, agreement or arrangement of a sexual offence against a child, and bestiality in the presence of or inciting a child (s. 160(3)). Incidents of child pornography are not included in the category of sexual violations against children.

Return to note 4 referrer

Note 5

"Trafficking in persons" includes four specific indictable offences to address human trafficking, namely sections 279.01 (Trafficking in persons), 279.011 (Trafficking of a person under the age of eighteen years), 279.02 (Material benefit), and 279.03 (Withholding or destroying documents). Trafficking in persons incidents reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey may be undercounted due to differences in police reporting practices for this violation

Return to note 5 referrer

Note 6

This offence was amended in 2015 in the former Bill C-13 Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act to include all means of telecommunication, not only phone calls.

Return to note 6 referrer

Note 7

In December 2014, new legislation came into effect governing prostitution-related activities. The new legislation targets “the exploitation that is inherent in prostitution and the risks of violence posed to those who engage in it” (Criminal CodeChapter 25, preamble). New violations classified as “offences in relation to sexual services” under “violent crime” include: the purchasing of sexual services or communicating for that purpose, receiving a material benefit deriving from the purchase of sexual services, procuring of persons for the purpose of prostitution and advertising sexual services offered for sale. In addition, a number of other offences related to prostitution continue to be considered non-violent offences and are classified under “other Criminal Code offences”. These include communicating to provide sexual services for consideration and stopping or impeding traffic for the purpose of offering, providing or obtaining sexual services for consideration.

Return to note 7 referrer

Note 8

Includes trafficking and the intent to traffic stolen goods.

Return to note 8 referrer

Note 9

Includes altering/removing/destroying a vehicle identification number.

Return to note 9 referrer

Note 10

Due to the complexity of cyber incidents, these data likely reflect the number of active or closed investigations for the year rather than the total number of incidents reported to police. Data are based on police-reported incidents that are recorded in police services’ records management systems.

Return to note 10 referrer

Note 11

The offence of “child pornography” includes offences under section 163.1 of the Criminal Code which makes it illegal to access, possess, make, print, or distribute child pornography. When the actual victim is not identified, this offence is reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey with the most serious offence being “child pornography” which falls under the larger crime category of “other Criminal Code offences”. In cases where an actual victim is identified, police will report the most serious offence as sexual assault, sexual exploitation or other sexual violations against children, which fall under the category of “violent crime” and child pornography may be reported as a secondary violation.

Return to note 11 referrer

Note 12

Includes seven terrorism violations which were introduced mid-year in 2013, as a result of the enactment of former Bill S-7 "An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act and the Security of Information Act." An additional terrorism violation code was introduced in late 2015, as a result of the enactment of former Bill C-51 "Anti-terrorism Act." Due to the length of time for investigations to confirm whether or not the incident is founded, annual counts of terrorism offences are subject to revisions downwards when revised data are released one year after the initial release; therefore, changes between the current year of data and the previous year should be interpreted with caution.

Return to note 12 referrer

Note 13

Includes alcohol-impaired operation of a vehicle, alcohol-impaired operation of a vehicle causing death or bodily harm, failure or refusal to comply with testing for the presence of alcohol and failure or refusal to provide a breath or blood sample. In some jurisdictions, including British Columbia, impaired driving incidents that meet the elements of the Criminal Code may be handled using a provincial statute. Collection of these incidents is not within the scope of the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Return to note 13 referrer

Note 14

Includes drug-impaired operation of a vehicle, drug-impaired operation of a vehicle causing death or bodily harm, failure or refusal to comply with testing for the presence of drugs and failure or refusal to provide a breath or blood sample. In some jurisdictions, including British Columbia, impaired driving incidents that meet the elements of the Criminal Code may be handled using a provincial statute. Collection of these incidents is not within the scope of the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Return to note 14 referrer

Note 15

Reflects new impaired driving offences as per former Bill C-46 "An Act to amend the Criminal Code (offences relating to conveyances) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts" which came into effect part way through 2018.

Return to note 15 referrer

Note 16

Includes human trafficking violations under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Data specific to these offences are not available prior to 2011. Trafficking in persons incidents reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey may be undercounted due to differences in police reporting practices for this violation

Return to note 16 referrer

Note 17

The Quarantine Act is applicable to persons arriving in or departing from Canada. It provides measures for the screening, health assessment and medical examination of travellers to determine whether they have a communicable disease and to prevent the introduction and spread of such disease. The Quarantine Act requires any persons entering Canada—whether by air, sea or land—to quarantine (self-isolate) themselves for 14 days if they are asymptomatic in order to limit the introduction and spread of COVID-19. The 14-day period begins on the day the person enters Canada. With the Government of Canada's March 2020 announcement of restrictions on persons arriving in or departing from Canada, pursuant to its powers under the Quarantine Act, the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey was adjusted to add a specific Quarantine Act violation code.

Return to note 17 referrer

Note: Data for unfounded incidents are available from 2017 onward even though inconsistencies in reporting may still exist. Police-reported statistics may be affected by differences in the way police services deal with offences. In some instances, police or municipalities might choose to deal with some offences using municipal bylaws or provincial provisions rather than Criminal Code provisions. Counts are based on the most serious violation in the incident. One incident may involve multiple violations.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.
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