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

Table 4
Selected characteristics of homicides, by rural and urban areas, provinces, 2019 to 2023 Table summary
This table displays the results of Selected characteristics of homicides, by rural and urban areas, provinces, 2019 to 2023. The information is grouped by Characteristic (appearing as row headers), Rural and Urban, calculated using rate, number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Characteristic Rural Urban
number percent rate number percent rate
Note ...

not applicable

Note 1

Includes a small number of accused persons identified as being under the age of 12. Persons under 12 cannot be held criminally responsible in Canada.

Return to note 1 referrer

Note: Urban police services serve an area where the majority of the population lives within a census metropolitan area (CMA) or census agglomeration (CA). Rural police services serve an area where the majority of the population lives outside a CMA or CA. A CMA or a CA is comprised of one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population centre (known as the core). A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000, of which 50,000 or more must live in the core. A CA must have a core population of at least 10,000. To be included in the CMA or CA, adjacent municipalities must have a high degree of integration with the core, as measured by commuting flows derived from census data. A CMA or CA may have more than one police service. Rates are calculated on the basis of 100,000 population. Populations are based upon July 1 estimates from Statistics Canada, Centre for Demography. There may be a small number of homicides included in a given year's total that occurred in previous years. Homicides are counted according to the year in which they are reported to Statistics Canada.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Homicide Survey.
Total number of victims 798 100 2.78 3,075 100 1.88
Total number of incidents 760 100 2.65 2,918 100 1.78
Number of victims in incidents  
Single victim 729 96 2.54 2,792 96 1.71
Multiple victim 31 4 0.11 126 4 0.08
Incident clearance status  
Not cleared 173 22 0.60 909 30 0.56
Charges laid or recommended 550 69 1.92 1,948 63 1.19
Cleared otherwise 75 9 0.26 218 7 0.13
Age group of victim  
0 to 11 years 33 4 0.89 122 4 0.60
12 to 17 years 23 3 1.21 109 4 1.03
18 to 24 years 94 12 4.72 536 17 3.62
25 to 44 years 386 49 6.03 1,363 44 2.92
45 to 64 years 191 24 2.35 679 22 1.60
65 years and older 67 8 1.02 256 8 0.89
Unknown 4 ... not applicable ... not applicable 10 ... not applicable ... not applicable
Gender of victim  
Man 570 72 3.92 2,331 77 2.87
Woman 224 28 1.59 711 23 0.86
Unknown 4 ... not applicable ... not applicable 33 ... not applicable ... not applicable
Fixed address  
Victim had a fixed address 740 93 2.58 2,706 89 1.65
Victim had no known fixed address 55 7 0.19 334 11 0.20
Unknown 3 ... not applicable 0.01 35 ... not applicable 0.02
Victim considered a missing person at the time of their death  
Yes 69 9 0.24 159 5 0.10
No 725 91 2.53 2,897 95 1.77
Unknown 4 ... not applicable 0.01 19 ... not applicable 0.01
Primary method used to cause death  
Shooting 251 33 0.88 1,212 41 0.74
Stabbing 239 31 0.83 956 32 0.58
Beating or blows 192 25 0.67 439 15 0.27
Strangulation, suffocation, drowning 22 3 0.08 146 5 0.09
Other 57 7 0.20 225 8 0.14
Unknown 37 ... not applicable 0.13 97 ... not applicable 0.06
Accused-victim relationship  
Spouse 98 16 0.41 196 10 0.14
Family member (non-spouse) 153 25 0.53 342 18 0.21
Intimate partner (non-spouse) 27 4 0.11 99 5 0.07
Acquaintance 283 46 0.99 909 47 0.56
Stranger 51 8 0.18 408 21 0.25
Unknown 13 ... not applicable 0.05 212 ... not applicable 0.13
Age group of accused  
12 to 17 years 58 8 3.06 226 8 2.13
18 to 24 years 176 24 8.84 727 27 4.91
25 to 44 years 403 54 6.29 1,334 49 2.85
45 to 64 years 91 12 1.12 344 13 0.81
65 years and older 15 2 0.23 68 3 0.24
Unknown Table 4 Note 1 2 ... not applicable ... not applicable 9 ... not applicable ... not applicable
Gender of accused  
Man 627 84 4.31 2,330 87 2.87
Woman 116 16 0.82 334 13 0.41
Unknown 2 ... not applicable ... not applicable 44 ... not applicable ... not applicable
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