Table 1
Police-reported sexual assault, by victim, accused person and incident characteristic, Canada, 2017 to 2022


Table 1
Police-reported sexual assault, by victim, accused person and incident characteristic, Canada, 2017 to 2022
Table summary
This table displays the results of Police-reported sexual assault. The information is grouped by Victim, incident and accused person characteristic (appearing as row headers), 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Victim, accused person and incident characteristic 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
number percent number percent number percent number percent number percent number percent
Victim characteristic
Gender
Women and girls 21,357 90 24,658 90 26,758 89 24,993 90 29,681 90 31,207 90
Men and boys 2,493 10 2,814 10 3,234 11 2,820 10 3,400 10 3,626 10
Unknown 39 Note ...: not applicable 64 Note ...: not applicable 63 Note ...: not applicable 53 Note ...: not applicable 100 Note ...: not applicable 180 Note ...: not applicable
Total 23,889 100 27,536 100 30,055 100 27,866 100 33,181 100 35,013 100
Age group
Children and youth 9,046 38 9,814 36 11,204 37 9,705 35 12,950 39 13,618 39
Children aged 11 years and younger 2,487 10 2,469 9 2,946 10 2,660 10 3,253 10 3,186 9
Youth aged 12 to 17 years 6,559 28 7,345 27 8,258 28 7,045 25 9,697 29 10,432 30
Adults 14,781 62 17,588 64 18,697 63 18,027 65 20,088 61 21,221 61
18 to 30 years 8,644 36 10,130 37 10,691 36 10,108 36 11,242 34 11,596 33
31 to 45 years 3,898 16 4,746 17 5,050 17 5,180 19 5,814 18 6,407 18
46 to 64 years 1,746 7 2,139 8 2,265 8 2,104 8 2,378 7 2,504 7
65 years and olderTable 1 Note 1 493 2 573 2 691 2 635 2 654 2 714 2
Unknown 62 Note ...: not applicable 134 Note ...: not applicable 154 Note ...: not applicable 134 Note ...: not applicable 143 Note ...: not applicable 174 Note ...: not applicable
Total 23,889 100 27,536 100 30,055 100 27,866 100 33,181 100 35,013 100
Accused–victim relationshipTable 1 Note 2
Known to victim 17,607 74 20,247 74 22,384 74 21,181 76 25,183 76 26,025 74
Intimate partnerTable 1 Note 3 3,707 16 4,588 17 5,267 18 5,517 20 6,786 20 7,222 21
Family 3,363 14 3,569 13 4,062 14 3,894 14 4,743 14 4,520 13
ParentTable 1 Note 4 1,064 4 1,208 4 1,426 5 1,361 5 1,687 5 1,545 4
Other familyTable 1 Note 5 2,299 10 2,361 9 2,636 9 2,533 9 3,056 9 2,975 8
Friend or casual acquaintance 8,196 34 9,116 33 9,986 33 8,978 32 10,482 32 11,026 31
OtherTable 1 Note 6 2,341 10 2,974 11 3,069 10 2,792 10 3,172 10 3,257 9
Stranger 4,165 17 4,642 17 4,504 15 3,391 12 4,015 12 4,604 13
Unknown 2,117 9 2,647 10 3,167 11 3,294 12 3,983 12 4,384 13
Total 23,889 100 27,536 100 30,055 100 27,866 100 33,181 100 35,013 100
Level of injury
Injury 5,178 22 5,768 21 5,629 19 5,401 19 5,985 18 6,202 18
Minor injuryTable 1 Note 7 5,103 21 5,676 21 5,556 18 5,331 19 5,926 18 6,136 18
Major injuryTable 1 Note 8 75 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 92 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 73 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 70 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 59 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 66 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
No injury 15,784 66 18,363 67 20,129 67 18,078 65 21,477 65 22,447 64
Unknown 2,927 12 3,405 12 4,297 14 4,387 16 5,719 17 6,364 18
Total 23,889 100 27,536 100 30,055 100 27,866 100 33,181 100 35,013 100
Accused person characteristicTable 1 Note 9
Gender
Women and girls 322 3 365 3 359 3 412 3 524 4 523 4
Men and boys 11,612 97 12,661 97 13,027 97 12,296 97 13,803 96 12,908 96
Unknown 58 Note ...: not applicable 54 Note ...: not applicable 26 Note ...: not applicable 24 Note ...: not applicable 40 Note ...: not applicable 124 Note ...: not applicable
Total 11,992 100 13,080 100 13,412 100 12,732 100 14,367 100 13,555 100
Age group
Youth aged 12 to 17 years 2,298 19 2,279 17 2,476 18 2,024 16 2,760 19 2,547 19
Adults 9,694 81 10,801 83 10,936 82 10,708 84 11,607 81 11,008 81
18 to 30 years 3,827 32 4,147 32 4,165 31 4,126 32 4,437 31 4,055 30
31 to 45 years 2,999 25 3,421 26 3,579 27 3,570 28 3,933 27 3,761 28
46 to 64 years 2,121 18 2,405 18 2,389 18 2,311 18 2,491 17 2,407 18
65 years and older 747 6 828 6 803 6 701 6 746 5 785 6
Total 11,992 100 13,080 100 13,412 100 12,732 100 14,367 100 13,555 100
Incident characteristic
Type of violation
Level 1 22,015 98 25,278 98 27,935 98 25,837 97 30,772 98 32,618 98
Level 2 387 2 420 2 490 2 568 2 571 2 563 2
Level 3 141 1 150 1 120 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 130 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 117 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 112 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Total 22,543 100 25,848 100 28,545 100 26,535 100 31,460 100 33,293 100
Most serious weapon presentTable 1 Note 10
No weapon 70 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 234 1 834 4 1,695 8 2,129 9 2,273 9
ThreatsTable 1 Note 11 72 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 78 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 54 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 57 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 53 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 70 Note 0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Physical force 16,052 89 18,403 88 19,582 84 16,843 79 19,314 78 20,280 78
Weapon 574 3 653 3 720 3 786 4 850 3 759 3
Unknown 1,258 7 1,564 7 2,051 9 1,824 9 2,287 9 2,606 10
Total 18,026 100 20,932 100 23,241 100 21,205 100 24,633 100 25,988 100
Length of incident
Isolated or single-day incident 15,357 68 17,846 69 19,651 69 17,940 68 20,774 66 22,668 68
Ongoing incident 7,186 32 8,002 31 8,894 31 8,595 32 10,686 34 10,625 32
Up to one weekTable 1 Note 12 2,289 10 2,591 10 2,712 10 2,662 10 3,095 10 3,126 9
More than one weekTable 1 Note 13 4,897 22 5,411 21 6,182 22 5,933 22 7,591 24 7,499 23
Total 22,543 100 25,848 100 28,545 100 26,535 100 31,460 100 33,293 100
Delay in reporting to policeTable 1 Note 14
Reported same day as incident 11,145 50 12,729 50 14,273 50 13,110 50 15,244 49 16,360 49
Reported within one week of incidentTable 1 Note 15 4,316 19 4,809 19 5,088 18 4,397 17 5,078 16 5,677 17
Reported within one month of incidentTable 1 Note 16 1,689 8 1,992 8 2,106 7 1,880 7 2,233 7 2,427 7
Reported within one year of incidentTable 1 Note 17 2,442 11 3,059 12 3,510 12 3,331 13 4,081 13 4,404 13
Reported more than one year after incident 2,827 13 3,117 12 3,374 12 3,665 14 4,630 15 4,214 13
UnknownTable 1 Note 18 124 Note ...: not applicable 142 Note ...: not applicable 194 Note ...: not applicable 152 Note ...: not applicable 194 Note ...: not applicable 211 Note ...: not applicable
Total 22,543 100 25,848 100 28,545 100 26,535 100 31,460 100 33,293 100
Incomplete information on incident fileTable 1 Note 19
No unknowns 11,476 66 13,226 66 14,113 63 12,366 61 14,166 60 14,609 59
Unknowns 5,851 34 6,863 34 8,211 37 8,059 39 9,478 40 10,348 41
One unknown 4,185 24 4,870 24 5,543 25 5,394 26 6,267 27 6,641 27
Two or more unknowns 1,666 10 1,993 10 2,668 12 2,665 13 3,211 14 3,707 15
Total 17,327 100 20,089 100 22,324 100 20,425 100 23,644 100 24,957 100
... not applicable
0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Note 1

Victims older than 110 years were coded as unknown due to possible instances of miscoding of unknown age within this age category, as were certain victims whose age was reported as 80 and older, but were identified as possible instances of miscoding.

Return to note 1 referrer

Note 2

During processing for the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, a nearest-neighbour approach is used for unknown accused–victim relationships (that is, relationships initially reported as unknown by police are manually populated based on a number of similarities with other variables). For the purposes of this indicator, the relationship imputation has been undone and the initial unknown relationship is kept as an unknown measure for investigations.

Return to note 2 referrer

Note 3

Includes current and former legally married spouses, common-law partners and dating partners (i.e., boyfriends, girlfriends), and other intimate partners (e.g., one-night stands). Victims of spousal violence include those aged 15 and older, and victims of dating violence include those aged 12 and older.

Return to note 3 referrer

Note 4

Includes biological, step, adoptive and foster parents.

Return to note 4 referrer

Note 5

Includes all other family members related by blood, marriage (including common-law) or adoption (e.g., siblings, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and in-laws).

Return to note 5 referrer

Note 6

Includes neighbours, roommates, authority figures, reverse authority figures (e.g., student-to-teacher, patient-to-doctor), business relationships and criminal relationships (i.e., relationships based on illegal activities).

Return to note 6 referrer

Note 7

Includes injuries that required no professional medical treatment or only some first aid (e.g., bandage, ice).

Return to note 7 referrer

Note 8

Includes injuries that required professional medical attention at the scene or transportation to a medical facility.

Return to note 8 referrer

Note 9

Includes accused persons aged 12 and older as those younger than 12 years cannot be held criminally responsible. Accused persons older than 110 years were coded as unknown due to possible instances of miscoding of unknown age within this age category.

Return to note 9 referrer

Note 10

Due to data quality concerns, excludes the province of Quebec unless the most serious weapon present was a firearm, and data from the Québec City Police Service is excluded regardless of most serious weapon present.

Return to note 10 referrer

Note 11

Includes threats that are construed to imply that death or injury is possible.

Return to note 11 referrer

Note 12

Includes incidents that lasted one to seven days.

Return to note 12 referrer

Note 13

Includes incidents that lasted eight days or more.

Return to note 13 referrer

Note 14

Based on the end date of an incident.

Return to note 14 referrer

Note 15

Includes incidents that were reported one to seven days after occurring.

Return to note 15 referrer

Note 16

Includes incidents that were reported 8 to 30 days after occurring.

Return to note 16 referrer

Note 17

Includes incidents that were reported 31 to 365 days after occurring.

Return to note 17 referrer

Note 18

Includes incidents that were reported before the recorded end date.

Return to note 18 referrer

Note 19

Key factors for this indicator include the time of the incident, the location of the incident, the most serious weapon present, the accused–victim relationship and the level of injury sustained by the victim. Time, location and most serious weapon present are incident characteristics, while accused–victim relationship and level of injury are victim characteristics. Some incidents include multiple victims, and accused–victim relationship and level of injury might be known for some victims but not others in a given incident. As such, incidents with multiple victims are excluded. During processing for the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, a nearest-neighbour approach is used for unknown accused–victim relationships (that is, relationships initially reported as unknown by police are manually populated based on a number of similarities with other variables). For the purposes of this indicator, the relationship imputation has been undone and the initial unknown relationship is kept as an unknown measure for investigations. Due to data quality concerns for most serious weapon present, excludes the province of Quebec unless the most serious weapon present was a firearm, and data from the Québec City Police Service is excluded regardless of most serious weapon present.

Return to note 19 referrer

Note: For victim data, offences reflect the most serious violation against the victim. For incident and accused data, offences reflect the most serious violation in the incident. Sexual assault includes level 1, 2 and 3 sexual assault. Unknown values are included in percent calculations for each year when they account for 10% or more of the total in 2022. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Trend Database.
Date modified: