Characteristics of police-reported crime in rural areas in the Canadian provinces, 2023

Rural areas are often perceived as calm, quiet, peaceful, community-oriented places, and are contrasted with the fast-paced, less cohesive nature of urban areas (David, 2022). However, there is some evidence suggesting that these perceptions are beginning to shift, potentially related to crime patterns observed in rural areas. For example, recent analysis of police-reported data (Perreault, 2023) has shown that both crime rates and crime severity are consistently higher in rural areas than in urban areas in Canada. Contemporary research has focused on advancing rural criminology, dispelling the myth that rural areas are free of crime, while acknowledging the unique characteristics and challenges associated with crime, victimization, policing, and the provision of services and supports in rural areas as opposed to urban areas (Hale & Harkness, 2023).

Given these trends and the importance of understanding the nature of crime in rural Canada, this Juristat article focuses on the characteristics of rural areas and the crimes that came to the attention of police in 2023. Using data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey and the Homicide Survey, incidents, victims, and accused persons are explored, with differences between rural and urban areas highlighted.^Note  In addition, variation between rural areas is also examined, with comparisons made between provinces, and between northern and southern regions within the provinces.

This article focuses largely on rural crime in the provinces and is often aggregated to the national level. Analysis of police-reported crime in the territories—which, unlike the provinces, are almost entirely rural—is presented separately.

This Juristat article was produced with funding support from Public Safety Canada.

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Recent trends in police-reported crime in rural areas

Most (85%) of Canada’s population lives in an area served by an urban police service. Likewise, about four in every five (81%) crimes that came to the attention of police in 2023 were in urban areas. In other words, the absolute number and volume of police-reported crime is lower in rural areas. However, when factoring in the smaller size of the rural population, crime rates are consistently higher in rural areas (Chart 1).

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In 2023, there were 7,317 criminal incidents^Note  for every 100,000 rural population in Canada, a rate that was 34% higher than the urban rate (5,440 per 100,000 population) and 1.6% higher compared to the rural rate in 2022 (7,203) (Table 1).^{Note  Note} 

The pattern of higher crime rates in rural areas was seen in most provinces in 2023 (Chart 2). In particular, the largest gaps between the rural and urban crime rates were seen in Saskatchewan (68% higher in rural than in urban areas), Manitoba (+65%), and Alberta (+54%). The exceptions to the general pattern were Prince Edward Island (-18%), Ontario (-8%), and Quebec (-4%), where rural areas recorded lower crime rates than their urban counterparts (Table 2).

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In 2023, 15% of the population in the provinces were policed by a rural police service; 12% lived in the provincial South, and 2% in the provincial North.^Note  Much of the difference between rural areas and urban areas can be further attributed to differences between Northern and Southern areas of the provinces (Table 1). For instance, the crime rate in the rural South was 5,379 per 100,000 population in 2023, just below the rate in all urban areas (5,440). The rate in rural Northern areas was 17,546 per 100,000 population, approximately three times higher than in the rural South.^Note 

Continuing a trend that has been observed over the past decade (Allen & Perreault 2015; Perreault, 2023), police-reported violent crime rates were highest in the rural Northern regions of Saskatchewan (18,985 per 100,000 population) and Manitoba (11,661). In each province with an area classified as Northern, rates in the rural North were higher than rates in the rural South, ranging from Alberta and British Columbia, where the crime rate was about twice as high in the rural North, to Saskatchewan, where the crime rate was seven times higher in the rural North than the rural South (12,634) (Table 2).

Crime Severity Index higher in rural areas, particularly the North

The Crime Severity Index (CSI) is another measure of crime, which considers the relative severity of police-reported offences in addition to their volume (see Text box 1). In 2023, the total CSI in the provinces was 30% higher in rural areas (99) than in urban areas (76). As with the traditional crime rate, the rural–urban difference in the CSI was explained by the volume and characteristics of police-reported crime in the rural North. While the CSI in the rural South (77) was virtually equal to the urban CSI (76), the CSI in the rural North was nearly three times higher (214).

Differences between the rural and urban CSI also varied considerably according to province (Chart 3). For instance, the largest rural–urban gaps in CSI were recorded in Alberta (+54%), Saskatchewan (+44%), and Manitoba (+41%). In contrast, the CSI was lower in rural areas than urban areas in Prince Edward Island (-11%), while the CSIs were virtually equal in rural and urban Ontario (-1%) and British Columbia (+1%).

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The CSI is one measure of crime, but like any other measure, it cannot on its own fully explain or reflect the nature of crime in a given area and should be combined with information from other sources for a more comprehensive understanding (Moreau, 2025; Statistics Canada, 2024). For instance, the size and location of a community can impact the availability and accessibility of services; the local economy may be challenged by relatively high levels of unemployment and inequality; or affordable and quality housing may be more difficult to obtain (Aylwin & Moore, 2015). Due to their geography, population size and the nature of their economy, rural and remote communities, particularly those located in northern regions, more often face these challenges than southern regions. Accessing healthcare services is also more challenging among those living in rural areas (Friesen, 2019; Subedi et al., 2019), which can further exacerbate the physical and mental impacts of crime on those who are victims. These conditions may impact socioeconomic and health status of the population, for example with relatively higher prevalence of poverty in remote and northern regions, and further contribute to levels of crime and victimization in a community.

 A larger proportion of the population in rural areas, particularly in the rural North, is Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit). Data has consistently shown that Indigenous people and Indigenous communities experience higher levels of violence in Canada (Allen, 2020; Boyce, 2016; Perreault, 2022). While the Indigenous identity of victims and persons accused of crime is not currently available from the UCR Survey, this may also be a factor associated with police-reported crime. The ongoing impact of colonization on First Nations people, Métis and Inuit in Canada contributes to varying levels of socioeconomic marginalization, trauma, and intergenerational violence, all of which impact police-reported crime (Allen, 2020; Boyce et al, 2015; MMIWG, 2019; Truth and Reconciliation Commission 2015).  

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Characteristics of police-reported crime in rural areas in 2023

Beyond the overall measures of volume and severity, it is important to examine the characteristics of crime that come to the attention of police. A more detailed analysis of police-reported crime, highlighting differences between rural and urban areas, may assist in the development of effective strategies for prevention and intervention.

All types of crime higher in rural areas

While the rate of police-reported violent crime is higher in rural areas than in urban areas, this is not unique to violent crime. In fact, consistent with past trends, all broad types of crime were higher in rural areas than in urban areas in 2023 (Chart 5, Table 1). Property crime, the most common form of police-reported crime, had the smallest gap (13% higher in rural areas than in urban areas). Offences against the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, other federal statutes, and Criminal Code traffic offences, while not included when calculating the overall crime rate, were also substantially higher in rural areas than in urban areas (+65%, +522%,^Note  and +107%, respectively).

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Most common crime types are largely similar between rural and urban areas

Despite differences in prevalence, broadly speaking, the most common types of crime were similar in rural and urban areas (Table 1). For instance, 7 of the 10 most common types of police-reported crime were the same in rural areas and urban areas: mischief, common assault (level 1), theft $5,000 or under, failure to comply with order, fraud, breaking and entering, and uttering threats. These seven types of crime accounted for more than half of all criminal incidents in 2023 in rural areas (56%) and half in urban areas (50%).

In rural areas, the other most common offences were disturbing the peace, assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm (level 2), and impaired driving. In comparison, in urban areas, shoplifting, theft of $5,000 or under from a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle theft were among the ten most common offences. 

A higher proportion of police-reported crime in rural areas is violent

The distribution of types of police-reported crime is another way to look at crime. It may reveal whether particular types of crime are under- or overrepresented in a given area, irrespective of differences in the number or rate of offences. In general, violent crime accounted for a larger proportion of crime in rural areas. One in four (26%) incidents of crime reported by police in rural areas in 2023 were violent, compared to one in five (22%) in urban areas. In contrast, property crimes accounted for a larger share of police-reported crime in urban areas (56%) than in rural areas (45%).

Violent crime is also consistently higher, on a per capita basis, in rural areas, a trend which continued in 2023. The police-reported violent crime rate was about 1.7 times higher in rural areas (2,126 per 100,000 population) than in urban areas (1,274). While violent crime has increased in both rural and urban areas compared to five years ago, the increase in rural areas (+11%) has been slightly outpaced by that in urban areas (+12%) (Table 1).

A clear north-south divide exists when it comes to police-reported violent crime. The violent crime rate in the rural provincial North was 5,193 per 100,000 population in 2023, three times higher than the rural provincial South rate (1,545) and four times higher than the overall urban rate (1,274). Each year since 2009, the violent crime rate in the rural North has been three to four times higher than that in the rural South. Of note, the violent crime rate in the urban North (2,244) was also higher than in the rural South (1,545). This pattern has also been observed each year since 2009.

Across all regions, physical assault and uttering threats are the most common types of violent crime

Though violent crime accounted for a larger share of overall crime in rural areas than in urban areas, the breakdown of types of violent crimes were relatively similar across regions. For instance, physical assault accounted for more than half of all violent crime in both rural (56%) and urban (54%) areas, followed by incidents of uttering threats (18% and 16%, respectively). In the rural North, physical assault (65%) and uttering threats (15%) accounted for four in five police-reported violent crimes in 2023.

Rate of police-reported sexual assault higher in rural areas

Consistent with previous years, in 2023, the vast majority of police-reported sexual assaults were classified as level 1 sexual assault, an assault violating the sexual integrity of the victim. This was the case in both rural (98%) and urban (98%) areas. Smaller proportions were classified as level 2 or level 3 sexual assault.^Note   

The rate of sexual assault was about 1.5 times higher in rural areas in the provinces than it was in urban areas in 2023 (125 versus 84 per 100,000) (Table 1).^Note 

The rural–urban gap was largest in Ontario, where the rate of sexual assault was 69% higher in rural areas (128 per 100,000) than in urban areas (76 per 100,000). With the exceptions of Newfoundland and Labrador (-23%), New Brunswick (-4%), and Prince Edward Island (+3%), the rate of sexual assault was at least 23% higher in rural areas than in urban areas across the provinces.

Urban areas have higher rates of robbery

Unlike almost every other violent offence, the rate of robbery was 3.5 times higher in urban areas (66 per 100,000 population) than in rural areas (19 per 100,000). In urban areas, robbery accounted for 5% of all violent crimes in 2023 and was the third largest contributor to the CSI; in rural areas, it accounted for 1% and was the 17th-largest contributor.

In every province, the rate of robbery was lower in rural areas than in urban regions.

Firearm-related violent crime higher in rural areas, particularly the rural North

The majority of violent incidents, in both rural and urban areas, did not involve weapons. Just under one in five (18%) violent incidents in rural areas involved the presence of some type of weapon—such as a gun, knife, or blunt instrument—in 2023, a slightly lower proportion than in urban areas (21%) (Table 3).^Note 

More specifically, a firearm was present and relevant to the commission of the offence for 3% of violent crimes in both rural and urban areas. Overall, there were 47 firearm-related violent crimes per 100,000 rural population, about twice as high as the rate in urban areas (25). In the rural North, the rate of firearm-related violent crime was nearly four times higher (126 per 100,000) than that in the rural south (32 per 100,000).^Note 

There were notable differences in the types of firearms present in violent crime, depending on geography. In rural areas, firearm-like weapons and unknown types of firearm^Note  were the most common type, accounting for 39% of all rural firearm-related violent crime.^Note  Rifles or shotguns were the next most common (33%). In contrast, six in ten (59%) firearm-related incidents in urban areas involved handguns. Nearly nine in ten (87%) handgun-related incidents in Canada in 2023 occurred in urban southern areas.

There are also three specific Criminal Code offences which, by definition, involve firearms: use of a firearm in the commission of an offence, pointing a firearm, and discharging a firearm. Though the overall rate of these offences was low, relative to other types of violent crime, these offences had the largest gap between rural and urban areas. The rate of these offences was three times higher in rural areas (30 per 100,000) than in urban areas (10 per 100,000) in 2023 (Table 1). More specifically, in the rural North, there were 88 such offences per 100,000 population, five times higher than the rural South (19 per 100,000) and about nine times higher than the urban rate (10 per 100,000).

For more information on firearm-related violent crime in Canada, including in rural and urban areas, see Conroy (2025).

Higher rates of violence against women and girls in rural areas

In urban areas, women and girls represented just over half (51%) of all victims of police-reported violent crime, similar to the proportion of the population in general (50%).^{Note  Note}  In contrast, women and girls were slightly overrepresented as victims of violent crime in rural areas, accounting for 56% of all victims. This was the case in both the rural North (58%) and rural South (55%).

In 2023, 56,240 women and girls were victims of crime in the rural areas of the provinces. This represented a rate of 1,963 victims per 100,000 population, higher than the rate among men and boys in rural areas (1,494) and close to double the rate among women and girls in urban areas (1,137) (Table 3).

In the rural North, rates of violent crime were 3.5 times higher for women and girls (4,974) and three times higher for men and boys (3,459) than in the rural south (1,416 and 1,131, respectively) (Chart 6). Though less pronounced, the rate of violent crime was also higher among women and girls in the urban north (2,067) when compared to men and boys in the urban north (1,740) or women and girls in the urban south (1,101).  

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Unlike urban areas, rates of violence are steady from 12 to 44 years of age in rural areas

The age profiles of victims of police-reported violent crime differed substantially between rural and urban areas (Chart 7, Table 3). In urban areas, rates peaked between the ages of 12 and 17, and declined steadily with age. In rural areas, by contrast, rates were consistently high among those aged 12 to 17 (3,553 victims per 100,000 population), 18 to 24 (3,605), and 25 to 44 (3,294), before declining among those 45 years of age and older.

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While violent crime rates were higher in rural areas for all age groups, the largest differences were for those aged 18 to 24 and 25 to 44. Rates were approximately twice as high for these age groups in rural areas when compared to urban areas. 

Rates of police-reported violence highest among girls and young women in rural areas

In 2023, women and girls living in rural areas who were between the ages of 12 and 17 (4,399 victims per 100,000 population), 18 to 24 (4,545), and 25 to 44 (3,925) were victims of violent crime at the highest rates: about twice as high as their urban counterparts, and more than 1.5 times higher than men and boys of similar ages in rural areas (Chart 8).^Note 

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Rates of intimate partner and family violence considerably higher in rural areas

Not only are many patterns of crime different between rural and urban areas, but the relationships between victims and persons accused of crime also vary. In some ways, this reflects differences in the general population Proportionately fewer crimes were committed by strangers, and more were committed by someone known to the victim, when compared with urban areas (Chart 9, Table 3).

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Though violence by a stranger was less common in rural areas, violence perpetrated by an intimate partner, family member, or friend or acquaintance were all more common in rural areas—both in proportion and rate. In 2023, there were 571 victims of intimate partner violence per 100,000 population 12 years of age and older in rural areas, almost double the rate in urban areas (309 per 100,000). The rate of intimate partner violence was considerably higher in the rural North (1,514 per 100,000) than in the rural South (405 per 100,000).

Just under four in five victims of police-reported intimate partner violence were women and girls, in both rural (77%) and urban (78%) areas. Previous analysis of police-reported data has found that women and girls in rural areas, particularly those living in areas that are less accessible, are victims of intimate partner violence at a higher rate than women and girls living elsewhere across Canada (Burczycka, 2022).  

In all, three in ten (29%) victims of violent crime in rural areas in 2023 were victimized by an intimate partner, compared to 24% of victims in urban areas. More specifically, four in ten women who were victims of police-reported violent crime were victims of intimate partner violence, in both rural (40%) and urban (38%) areas.

Intimate partner violence accounted for a similar proportion of all police-reported violent crime against women and girls across the rural areas of the provinces, ranging from 36% in Prince Edward Island to 42% in British Columbia. 

Notably, these data are based only on violence that came to the attention of police, and the majority of intimate partner violence is not reported to police (Conroy, 2021; Cotter, 2021b). The decision to report is personal and complex. According to the 2019 General Social Survey on Canadians’ Safety (Victimization), many victims of intimate partner violence who did not report the violence to police cited their belief that the incident was a private or personal matter and handled informally (68%), the crime was minor and not worth taking the time to report (61%), or that no one was harmed (55%) as reasons for not reporting (Conroy, 2021).

Likewise, the rate of violent crime committed by a family member other than a spouse was close to three times higher in rural areas (372 per 100,000) than urban areas (138 per 100,000) in 2023 (Table 3). Of all non-spousal family violence in rural areas in 2023, 28% of victims were victimized by a parent, 16% by a child^Note  , and 56% by another family member, such as a sibling, aunt or uncle, cousin, or grandparent. In urban areas, parents (41%) and children (21%) accounted for a higher proportion, with 39% being victimized by an extended family member.

Half (51%) of all police-reported violent crime in rural areas in 2023 was perpetrated by an intimate partner or family member of the victim (Table 3). In comparison, this was the case for 37% of violent crime in urban areas.

In keeping with the pattern of higher rates of violent crime more generally, rates of intimate partner violence and family violence were nearly four times higher in the rural North than in the rural South in 2023.

Patterns of police-reported violence, where rates are higher among women and within the context of intimate partner or family relationships, serve to highlight concerns about gender-based violence in the context of rural areas. There are multiple factors that may influence the risk of victimization and the likelihood that violence is reported to police. These factors or barriers include the availability and affordability of safe housing, access to appropriate and relevant services for victims of crime, or a lack of transportation or other forms of support, such as resources to assist with finances or childcare (Letourneau et al., 2023; Youngson et al., 2021). While these barriers may also exist for those living in urban areas, they can be more pronounced for those living in rural areas due to distance and geographic isolation (Letourneau et al., 2023; Lynch & Logan, 2022; Mantler et al., 2024; Youngson et al., 2021).

Furthermore, in many cases, those living in rural areas are more likely to know one another or to know a larger proportion of the population, which has been referred to as a greater density of acquaintanceship in rural areas (Qi et al., 2023). This can serve as a source of support, by having friends or family to turn to for support following an experience of violence. However, it can also serve as a deterrent to reporting, as it may exacerbate the shame, embarrassment, or stigma that is commonly felt by victims of intimate partner or gender-based violence (Cotter, 2021a; Cotter, 2021b). In rural communities, it may also be more likely that victims, perpetrators, and police officers all know each other, which can impact the likelihood of reporting and the way in which reports are dealt with (Hale et al., 2023).

Firearm-related intimate partner violence

Across the provinces, there were just over 1,000 victims of intimate partner violence in 2023 where police reported that a firearm was present and relevant to the commission of the offence. This represented 1.6% of all victims of police-reported intimate partner violence in rural areas, and 1.0% of all victims in urban areas. Most of these victims, in both rural (84%) and urban (84%) areas, were women and girls. 

Physical injury of victims more common in rural areas

Physical injury was reported by police more often among victims of violent crime in rural areas (43%) than among those in urban areas (36%)^Note  (Table 3). The large majority of injuries^Note  were minor^Note  in nature. In both rural and urban areas, a small proportion of violent crimes resulted in major^Note  injury or death of a victim (2.4% and 2.6%, respectively). 

The levels of police-reported injury were different between the rural North and the rural South. More than half (55%) of victims of violent crime in the rural North in 2023 suffered some sort of injury, ranging from minor (52%) to major injury or death (3.0%). In the rural South, these proportions were 34% and 2.0%, respectively.

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Characteristics of non-violent crime in rural areas

Discussions about crime often focus on violent crime, given the significant negative consequences it can have for victims and communities. That said, property crime can also have a negative impact on those who experience it, such as financial costs and increased perceptions of insecurity (Camacho Doyle et al., 2022). In rural areas in particular, property crime is often a focus of concern for residents (Ceccato & Abraham, 2022; House of Commons of Canada, 2019).

While almost all types of violent crime had higher rates in rural areas than urban areas, the opposite was true for certain types of property crime (Chart 11, Table 1). The degree of difference differed; rates for some crimes, such as fraud and motor vehicle theft, were 9% and 8% higher, respectively, in urban areas than in rural areas. Other offences, such as theft of $5,000 or under (58% higher in urban areas) showed larger differences. Most notable—and likely reflective of the number and types of businesses present in urban areas—was the difference in the rate of shoplifting, which was nearly four times higher in urban areas than in rural areas. 

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Breaking and entering more prevalent in rural areas

Breaking and entering is considered one of the most serious property crimes, and it was one of the types of property crime for which rates were higher in rural areas. In 2023, the rural rate or breaking and entering was 409 per 100,000, 32% higher than in urban areas (309 per 100,000). As with many other types of crime, the difference was driven by a considerably higher rate of break and enter in the rural North (793 per 100,000), about double what was recorded in the rural South (337 per 100,000) (Table 1).

As with many other types of crime, the rural areas of Saskatchewan (818 per 100,000), Alberta (796), and Manitoba (700) recorded the highest rates of break and enter. Notably, in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, these rates were only slightly higher than in urban areas (+4% each). Alberta, in contrast, had the largest difference between rural and urban areas, with a rural rate of breaking and entering that was 65% higher than the urban rate (796 versus 483).

In Prince Edward Island (-18%), Ontario (-4%), and British Columbia (-3%), rates of breaking and entering were lower in rural areas than in urban regions.

Motor vehicle theft more common—and increasing faster—in urban areas

Motor vehicle theft—and the national rise in this type of crime in recent years—has been the subject of considerable attention, in both rural and urban areas (House of Commons, 2024; Public Safety Canada, 2024a). Between 2011 and 2021, the rate of motor vehicle theft was higher in rural areas than urban areas each year, before the trend reversed in 2022 and 2023. The recent national rise in motor vehicle theft has been concentrated in urban areas. Since 2018, the rate of motor vehicle theft has increased 27% in urban areas, while remaining relatively stable in rural areas (+2%).^Note 

As noted, motor vehicle theft was one of the offences with a lower rate in rural areas (267 incidents per 100,000 population) than in urban areas (289 per 100,000) in 2023 (Table 1). However, there were 4,045 incidents of motor vehicle theft reported in the rural North, corresponding to a rate of 432 per 100,000 population. Rates were virtually equal in the urban North (236) and rural South (235).

Variations existed among the provinces. Rates of motor vehicle theft were highest in rural Saskatchewan (604 per 100,000) and Alberta (563 per 100,000). These two provinces also recorded some of the largest gaps between rural and urban rates of motor vehicle theft in 2023 (+49% and +48%, respectively).^Note 

Conversely, in Quebec and Ontario, rates of motor vehicle theft were about two times higher in urban areas than they were in rural areas. This reflects the stolen vehicle supply chain, whereby vehicles—a large portion of which originate from Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area—are stolen and transported to ports for the purposes of illegal export (Public Safety Canada, 2024b). 

Mischief and disturbing the peace account for one in four rural crimes

Mischief was the most common type of crime in rural areas in 2023, accounting for 43% of all property crime and 21% of all incidents. There were about twice as many incidents of mischief as there were common assault, the second most common type of crime (10%). Mischief was the second most common police-reported crime among urban police services, accounting for 11% of incidents. The most common type was theft under $5,000 (17%).

Previous analysis (Allen & Perreault, 2015; Perreault, 2023) has highlighted police-reported mischief as a key difference between rural and urban crime. While mischief can include criminal offences that are quite serious, it can also capture more minor offences that, in some areas, may be dealt with by by-law officials or other agencies, as opposed to police. As a result, it is possible that, relative to rural areas, mischief is underreported by urban police services, as it may be recorded by other agencies.

That said, this trend continued in 2023, as the rate of mischief was over 2.5 times higher in rural areas (1,602 per 100,000 population) than urban areas (612) (Table 1). In fact, the difference in police-reported property crime between rural and urban areas was entirely attributable to mischief; the rate of all other property crimes combined was 21% lower in rural areas than urban areas in 2023 (2,089 versus 2,650).

Mischief was the most common type of crime in rural areas in almost all provinces in 2023. The two exceptions were Quebec and Ontario, where the most common police-reported crimes were level 1 assault and administration of justice offences, respectively.

In the rural North, the rate of mischief was five times higher than in the rural South (4,922 versus 974). More than one-quarter (26%) of all police-reported crimes in the rural North in 2023 were incidents of mischief.

Similar to mischief, disturbing the peace is an offence that may be more likely to fall to by-law or other municipal services to enforce, when such services are available. There were more than 31,000 incidents of disturbing the peace reported by rural police services in 2023, a rate of 532 per 100,000 population. This was more than double the rate among urban police services (203 per 100,000 population).

Taken together, mischief and disturbing the peace accounted for more than one-quarter (26%) of all police-reported crime in rural areas, as opposed to 14% of urban crime. As with many other characteristics of crime, this proportion varied widely across the provinces, ranging from 7% in rural Quebec and 13% in rural Ontario to more than one-third of police-reported crime in rural Saskatchewan (36%), Manitoba (39%), and Newfoundland and Labrador (39%).

These offences, while accounting for a considerable proportion of recorded crime in rural areas, rarely resulted in charges. Overall, 1.0% of all police-reported incidents of disturbing the peace and 3.5% of mischief in rural areas resulted in charges being laid or recommended against an accused person. The proportion of these offences which resulted in charges, while still low, was slightly higher in urban areas (1.4% and 6.7%, respectively).

One in ten police-reported offences are related to the administration of justice

In both rural and urban areas in 2023, 10% of all police-reported Criminal Code offences were for a violation against the administration of justice, such as failure to comply with conditions, failure to appear, breach of probation, and other offences against the administration of justice. These crimes most commonly involve someone coming into contact again with police after a prior offence, since they are generally committed when an individual does not follow a pre-trial condition or sentence imposed for another offence (Burczycka & Munch, 2015).  

In 2023, there were 700 administration of justice offences per 100,000 rural population, 34% higher than the urban provincial rate (522). The rate of these offences was particularly high in the rural North (1,875 per 100,000, compared with 477 per 100,000 in the rural South).^Note 

Some characteristics of rural areas may increase the likelihood of an administration of justice offence and help explain the higher rates of these offences in rural areas. For instance, access to various elements of the justice system may be limited, and it may be more difficult to comply with conditions such as prohibitions on range of travel or no-contact orders, particularly in smaller or more isolated communities (Senate of Canada, 2016). Geographic isolation and lack of reliable transport can also make it more difficult to attend court, or court-mandated programs or sessions as required (Aylwin & Moore, 2015).

Non-violent weapons offences are more prevalent in rural areas

Not all offences involving weapons are violent. Other weapon-related offences are more administrative in nature, including possession, unsafe storage, or improper documentation. As with violent crime involving weapons, the rate of non-violent weapons offences was higher in rural areas (81 incidents per 100,000 population) than in urban areas (52 per 100,000) in 2023 (Table 1). The difference was largely the result of the higher rate of these crimes in the rural North (209 per 100,000), as the rate in the rural South (56 per 100,000) was not considerably different from the urban rate.

In rural Manitoba, there were 260 non-violent weapons offences per 100,000 population, more than double the urban rate (122 per 100,000) and higher than any other rural area in the provinces.

Police-reported impaired driving offences three times higher in rural areas

One illustration of the relationship between location and crime is the elevated rate of police-reported impaired driving in rural areas. Rural areas, in contrast to urban areas, are more likely to be reliant on personal vehicles for transportation, as public transit, taxis, and ride-sharing services may not be an option and distance travelled is generally longer (Robertson et al., 2016).

In 2023, there were more than 22,000 incidents of impaired driving reported by rural police services, a rate of 377 per 100,000 population. In comparison, there were 137 impaired driving incidents for every 100,000 urban population.

The large majority (82%) of impaired driving incidents in rural areas were related to alcohol, with smaller proportions attributed to drugs (8%), both alcohol and drugs (8%), or an unspecified substance (2%). These proportions were fairly similar to what was reported by urban police services.^Note 

There were 227 incidents of impaired driving causing death or bodily harm in rural areas in 2023, a rate of 3.9 per 100,000 population – four times higher than the urban rate (1.0 per 100,000).^Note  The rate of impaired driving causing death or bodily harm in the rural provinces ranged from 0.8 in Newfoundland and Labrador to 8.7 in Manitoba. In all provinces, the rate of impaired driving causing death or bodily harm was at least twice as high in rural areas than in urban areas.

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Police-reported crime in rural areas more often occurs in a private residence

Another way in which police-reported crime differed in rural and urban areas in 2023 was in terms of the specific location in which it occurred. Close to six in ten (56%) incidents in rural areas occurred in a private residence, as opposed to one-third (34%) of incidents in urban areas (Table 3). In urban areas, larger shares of police-reported crime occurred in commercial or non-residential locations (38%) or while using or waiting for public transportation or on a street, road, or open area (28%) when compared with rural areas (23% and 21%, respectively).

The differences between rural and urban areas in terms of location of police-reported crime are likely due to a combination of factors. For instance, they may reflect both general differences between rural and urban areas (e.g., less availability of public transportation, fewer commercial or non-residential locations). They may also be related to the types of crime that are more often observed in rural areas; for instance, rates of robbery and some types of property crime, which are more likely to occur outside of private residences, are lower in rural areas, while many violent crimes, intimate partner violence, and family violence have higher rates in rural areas and more often occur in private residences.

One in four police-reported incidents results in charges being laid or recommended

When a crime is reported to police, it may remain uncleared, it may result in charges being laid or recommended against an accused person, or it may be “cleared otherwise”, a term which captures all incidents that are solved but for which police do not or cannot proceed with charges against an accused person.^Note  In 2023, about one-quarter of all incidents in rural (23%) and urban (24%) areas resulted in charges being laid or recommended by police.

The most common clearance status of police-reported incidents was that they were uncleared, accounting for 59% of incidents in rural areas and 67% in urban areas. In rural areas, the large majority (89%) of uncleared incidents had insufficient evidence to proceed. This was also the most common clearance status of uncleared incidents in urban areas (78%).^Note 

Incidents were more commonly cleared otherwise in rural areas (19%) than in urban areas (8%). In rural areas, incidents cleared otherwise were most commonly cases where an accused person was known to police, but the victim requested no further action was taken (46%), or police used departmental discretion^Note  (42%). These were also the two most common ways in which incidents were cleared otherwise among urban police services, though the proportions differed: 51% of incidents cleared otherwise in urban areas were due to departmental discretion and 31% involved the victim requesting no further action being taken against an accused person.

In both rural and urban areas, certain types of crime were more likely than others to result in charges being laid or recommended (Chart 12). For example, about four in ten violent incidents were cleared by charge in rural (38%) and urban (38%) areas. Property crime, in contrast, had much lower charge rates: 7% of property crimes in rural areas and 9% in urban areas resulted in charges being laid, with the large majority being uncleared (76% and 86%, respectively).

Chart 12 start

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Higher proportion of women and girls accused of crime in rural areas

When a crime is cleared, information on the accused—whether they are charged or cleared otherwise—is captured by the UCR Survey. Regardless of geography, most persons accused of crime are men and boys. However, in 2023, women and girls accounted for a higher proportion of accused persons in rural areas (29%) than in urban areas (25%) (Table 3).

In rural areas, women accounted for 27% of those accused of violent crime, 33% of those accused of property crime, and 27% of those accused of other Criminal Code offences. Each of these proportions were higher than what was seen among urban police services (23%, 28%, and 24%, respectively).

Persons accused of crime tend to be older in rural areas

In keeping with the overall trends, rates of persons accused of crime were higher in rural areas than in urban areas for all age groups. When looking at all types of crime, rates were highest among those aged 25 to 44 years in both rural (9,065 persons accused per 100,000 population) and urban (3,852 per 100,000) areas. The median age of accused persons, in both rural and urban areas, was 33. Across the provinces, the median age of accused persons ranged from 30 in rural Manitoba to 36 in rural British Columbia.

A slightly different profile emerged when looking specifically at persons accused of violent crime (Chart 13). While rates remained higher for all age groups in rural areas compared to urban areas, there were some differences. Most notably, in rural areas, the peak age group remained 25 to 44 years (2,616), followed closely by 18 to 24 years (2,483). More specifically, the rate at which persons were accused of violent crime peaked at age 27. In contrast, those accused of a violent crime were considerably younger in urban areas. Rates of violent offending were highest among youth aged 12 to 17 (1,287), peaking at age 15.

Chart 13 start

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Consistent with trends at the incident level, those accused of crime in rural areas were less likely to be charged (51%) and more likely to be cleared otherwise (43%), when compared with urban areas (73% and 22%, respectively).^Note 

In particular, under half (46%) of persons accused of crime in the rural North subsequently had charges laid or recommended against them, compared with 55% in the rural South.

For violent crime, two-thirds (65%) of persons accused in rural areas had charges laid or recommended against them, while 28% were cleared otherwise.^Note  In urban areas, these proportions were 74% and 19%, respectively.

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Police-reported crime in rural areas of the territories

Unlike the provinces, almost all police services in Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut serve populations classified as rural. In fact, using the definition of urban and rural in this article, only two police services in the territories—those serving Whitehorse and Yellowknife—are considered urban. The detachment responsible for policing in Iqaluit, which covered a population of 8,296 in 2023, does not meet the threshold required to be a census agglomeration (a population of 10,000 or more). However, the capital of Nunavut is the largest population centre and the main service centre in the territory, and for the purposes of this section, rural areas of the territories are all areas outside of the territorial capitals.

Similar to what was found in the provinces, the police-reported crime rate^Note  was 43% higher in the rural (non-capital) areas of the territories, when compared with the capitals (52,280 versus 36,535 per 100,000 population) (Table 6). In Yukon (+91%) and the Northwest Territories (+57%), the rural crime rate was higher than that recorded in the capitals. In Nunavut, the reverse was true; the crime rate outside of the capital was 54% lower than the crime rate in Iqaluit in 2023.

Just under one in four (23%) police-reported incidents in rural areas in the territories were violent, a higher proportion than in the capitals (17%). In 2023, rates of violent crime were twice as high outside the capital cities as they were within (Chart 15).  

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In 2023, two-thirds of all police-reported crimes in the territories—both within (67%) and outside (67%) the capital cities—were mischief, disturbing the peace, or level 1 assault (Table 6).

Summary

Concerns about addressing and preventing crime are not unique to any particular geography or group. However, in recent years, the issue of crime in rural areas has received considerable attention, and police-reported data have consistently shown that rates of crime overall, and most individual types of crime, are higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Much of the difference between rural areas and urban areas lies, more specifically, in differences between the northern and southern areas of the provinces. Compared to the crime rate in urban areas, the crime rate in the rural South was slightly lower, while the rate in the rural North was about three times higher. For most types of crime, the police-reported rate in urban northern areas was higher than in the rural South.

In 2023, the police-reported crime rate was 34% higher in rural areas in the provinces than it was in urban regions. Both rural and urban areas have recorded increases each year since 2020.

Rural areas vary widely in their levels of crime. About one-third (32%) of the rural population lived in an area where the police-reported crime rate was relatively low, but another three in ten (30%) lived in an area where the crime rate was among the highest in the country. 

One-quarter (26%) of all crimes reported by police in rural areas in 2023 were violent, compared with one-fifth (22%) in urban areas. In 2023, there were about 125,000 victims of violent crime reported by police in rural areas, about 22% of all victims of violent crime.

Certain types of violence were overrepresented in rural areas. For example, rates of violence against women and girls were about twice as high in rural areas when compared to urban areas. In particular, rates of intimate partner violence and family violence were elevated in rural areas.

Unlike violent crime, many forms of property crime—including fraud, motor vehicle theft, theft under $5,000, and shoplifting—were more common in urban areas than rural areas. Mischief and disturbing the peace—offences that may be reported to by-law or other officials in urban areas—accounted for just over one in four (26%) crimes reported by police in rural areas in 2023, compared with 14% of crime in urban areas.

Of importance for preventing and responding to crime, the profile of accused persons differed considerably between rural and urban areas in 2023. Generally, persons accused of crime in 2023 were older in rural areas. Rates were highest among those aged 25 to 44 years of age, peaking at age 27. In contrast, urban crime appeared to involve youth accused to a greater extent: the profile of accused persons in urban areas skewed much younger, with the rates highest among those ages 12 to 17, peaking at age 15.

While the absolute number of victims and criminal incidents is lower in rural areas when compared to urban areas, when accounting for the smaller population, crime rates are higher in rural areas, suggesting that a larger proportion of the rural population, especially those in the rural North, may have direct experience with crime. Not only that, many characteristics of criminal incidents, victims, and accused persons differ between rural and urban areas, and therefore strategies to prevent and address crime may not be universally applicable in rural and urban contexts.

As noted, it is important to consider that rural areas themselves vary, not only in terms of crime but in other sociodemographic, economic, and geographic ways that may have important influences on the nature and extent of crime in a given area. Though police-reported data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey and the Homicide Survey cannot address the causes of rural crime, this article has presented an overview of key trends and patterns that may help inform further investigation into crime in rural areas in Canada.

Detailed data tables

Table 1 Selected police-reported crimes, urban and rural police services, all provinces, 2023

Table 2 Selected categories of police-reported crime, by rural and urban area, North and South, and province, 2023

Table 3 Characteristics of police-reported incidents, victims, and accused persons, by rural-urban and North-South geography, provinces, 2023

Table 4 Selected characteristics of homicides, by rural and urban areas, provinces, 2019 to 2023

Table 5 Selected measures of perceived safety, urban and rural areas in the Canadian provinces, 2019

Table 6 Selected police-reported crimes, capital and non-capital police services, territories, 2023

Survey description

Uniform Crime Reporting Survey

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey was established in 1962 with the co-operation and assistance of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. The UCR Survey measures criminal incidents that have been reported to federal, provincial or territorial, and municipal police services in Canada.

One incident can involve multiple offences. To ensure comparability, counts presented in this article are based on the most serious offence in the incident as determined by a standard classification rule used by all police services. Counts based on all violations are available upon request.

Homicide Survey

The Homicide Survey collects police-reported data on the characteristics of all homicide victims, accused persons and incidents in Canada. The Homicide Survey began collecting information on all homicides in 1961.

Whenever a homicide becomes known to police, the investigating police service completes the survey questionnaires, which are then sent to Statistics Canada. There are cases where homicides become known to police months or years after they occurred. These incidents are counted in the year in which they become known to police. Information on persons accused of homicide are only available for solved incidents (i.e., where at least one accused has been identified). Accused characteristics are updated as homicide cases are solved and new information is submitted to the Homicide Survey. Information collected through the victim and incident questionnaires are also updated accordingly when cases are solved.

The Homicide Survey recently underwent a redesign to improve data quality and enhance relevance. Changes were made to existing questions and additional questions were added as of the 2019 reporting period.

General Social Survey on Canadians’ Safety (Victimization)

The 2019 General Social Survey (GSS) on Canadians’ Safety target population was people aged 15 and older living in the provinces and territories, except for those living full time in an institution. Data collection took place between April 2019 and March 2020. Responses were obtained by computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI), in-person interviews (in the territories only) and, for the first time, self-administered internet collection (for respondents in the provinces and the territorial capitals). Respondents could respond in the official language of their choice.

An individual aged 15 or older was randomly selected within each household to respond to the survey. An oversample of Indigenous people was added to the 2019 GSS on Victimization to allow for a more detailed analysis of individuals belonging to this population group. In 2019, the final sample size was 22,412 respondents. In 2019, the overall response rate was 37.6%. Non-respondents included people who refused to participate, could not be reached, or could not speak English or French. Respondents in the sample were weighted so that their responses represented the non-institutionalized Canadian population aged 15 and older.

As with any household survey, there are some data limitations. The results are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sampling errors. Somewhat different results might have been obtained if the entire population had been surveyed. For the quality of estimates, the lower and upper bounds of the confidence intervals are presented in the tables and charts. Confidence intervals should be interpreted as follows: if the survey were repeated many times, then 95% of the time (or 19 times out of 20), the confidence interval would cover the true population value.

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