Rural crime fact sheets, 2023: British Columbia

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Demographic and household characteristics

In 2021, there were 5,226,665 people living in British Columbia. The large majority (90%) of the population lived in urban areas, while 10% lived in rural areas.^Note 

According to data from the most recent Census of Population, overall, British Columbia’s rural population was generally older than the urban population (Table 1).

A higher proportion of residents in rural areas (14%) than in urban areas (5%) were First Nations people, Métis or Inuit (Indigenous), and there were also larger proportions of Indigenous people residing in the North than in the South. In the rural North, 30% of the population was Indigenous, compared with 11% of the population in the rural South and 18% in the urban North.

A much larger proportion of residents in urban areas were immigrants (31%) or members of a racialized group (37%), compared with rural areas (13% and 5%, respectively).

In 2021, a larger proportion of urban residents than rural residents aged 25 to 64 years had completed some form of postsecondary education. More than one-third (36%) of urban residents aged 25 to 64 years had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with just under one in five (19%) rural residents.

Urban households in British Columbia had higher after-tax incomes than rural households. Rural areas had a slightly larger proportion of residents who met the threshold considered to be low-income^Note  (12%) than urban areas (10%).

In 2021, rural areas of British Columbia had a slightly higher unemployment rate (10%) than urban areas (8%) of the province.

A larger proportion of houses in rural areas were in need of major repairs in 2021 (9%) than their urban counterparts (6%).

It is important to note that the nature and extent of crime is influenced by various demographic, social and economic characteristics. For more information, see Characteristics of police-reported crime in rural areas, 2023: Provincial fact sheets.

Characteristics of police-reported crime

In 2023, 10% of people in British Columbia were served by a police service covering a predominantly rural area.^Note 

Police-reported data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey show that rural police services in British Columbia reported 40,252 Criminal Code violations (excluding traffic) in 2023, representing a rate of 7,546 incidents per 100,000 population (Table 2).^Note  This rate was slightly higher (+2%) than what was reported by urban police services (7,389 incidents per 100,000). Compared with 2022, the crime rate in 2023 in both rural and urban areas was stable.^Note  However, compared with 2018, it was up 12% in rural areas and remained stable (-1%) in urban areas.

Over the past decade, the crime rate remained fairly stable in southern parts of the province, while there were larger fluctuations in crime rates in the North (Chart 1).

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The urban North of British Columbia recorded the highest overall crime rate in the province in 2023 (13,918 incidents per 100,000 population). This rate was nearly twice as high as the rate in the urban South (7,061) and was a 13% increase from the rate in 2018. In comparison, the crime rate in the rural North (12,079) was 88% higher than the rate in the rural South (6,421), and it was up 35% from the rate recorded in 2018.

Characteristics of police-reported violent crime

In 2023, the police-reported violent crime rate was 1.3 times higher in rural areas than in urban areas of British Columbia (2,028 versus 1,512 incidents per 100,000 population) (Table 2). From 2018 to 2023, the rate of violent crime was up 33% in both rural and urban areas.

Police services in the rural North recorded the highest rate of violent crime in 2023, at 3,576 incidents per 100,000 population, which was 2.2 times higher than the rate among police services in the rural South (1,644). Rates of violent crime were also twice as high (2.1 times) in the urban North (2,971) than in the urban South (1,439).

In 2023, violent crime accounted for around one in four (24%) incidents of all police-reported crime in rural areas and one in five (19%) incidents in urban areas.

Assaults and firearm-specific offences accounted for the largest proportion of violent crime in both rural and urban areas (52% and 51%, respectively) in 2023. In rural areas specifically, assaults and firearm-specific offences accounted for 57% of violent crime in the North and 49% of violent crime in the South.

For all violent offences except for robbery, rates of violent crime were higher in rural areas of British Columbia than in urban areas. For example, the rate of incidents of sexual offences was 1.5 times higher in rural areas than in urban areas (172 versus 115 incidents per 100,000). In comparison, the rate of robbery was more than five times higher in urban areas (57 incidents per 100,000) than in rural areas (11).

Within both rural and urban areas, rates of violent crime were generally higher in the North than in the South. The largest gap occurred for the rate of incidents of assaults and firearm-specific offences, which was over 2.5 times higher in the rural North than in the rural South (2,024 versus 804 incidents per 100,000 population) and was 2.3 times higher in the urban North than in the urban South (1,630 versus 724).  

Characteristics of police-reported non-violent crime

In 2023, rural police services in British Columbia reported 18,907 incidents of property crime, which corresponded to a rate of 3,544 incidents per 100,000 population (Table 2). This rate was 15% lower than the rate recorded by urban police services (4,148). From 2018 to 2023, the rate of property crime remained fairly stable in rural areas (+2%), while it decreased 15% in urban areas over the same period. 

The urban North recorded the highest property crime rate in the province in 2023 (7,566 incidents per 100,000 population), which was 1.9 times higher than the rate in the urban South (3,977). This pattern was consistent in rural areas of the province, with the North (4,998) recording a property crime rate that was 1.6 times higher than the rate in the South (3,184).

Property crime accounted for a larger proportion of all police-reported crime in urban areas (52%) than in rural areas (42%) in 2023. Mischief was the most common type of property crime reported by police services in the rural North (50%), urban North (45%) and rural South (33%) of British Columbia, while in the urban South (23%) it was the second most common type of property crime after theft of $5,000 or under (non-motor vehicle) (47%).

Rates of property crime varied within rural and urban areas. For instance, the rates of motor vehicle theft and mischief were higher in rural areas than in urban areas (+33% and +29%, respectively), while the rate of breaking and entering was slightly lower in rural areas (-3%).

In rural areas, rates were higher in the North than in the South for each type of property violation. For example, the rate of mischief was much higher (2.4 times) in the rural North than in the rural South (2,512 versus 1,049 incidents per 100,000 population). Rates of property crime were also higher in the urban North than in the urban South, and the gap between the two regions was often larger than what was reported in rural areas. For instance, the rate of incidents of mischief was much higher in the urban North than in the urban South of the province (3,426 versus 920 incidents per 100,000).  

In 2023, the rate of incidents of other Criminal Code violations, which primarily include the offences of disturbing the peace and administration of justice violations, was 14% higher in rural British Columbia (1,973 incidents per 100,000 population) than in urban British Columbia (1,728). From 2018 to 2023, the rate of other Criminal Code violations increased in both rural (+15%) and urban areas (+20%).

The rate of incidents of administration of justice violations was much higher in the North than in the South of British Columbia in both rural (3.2 times) and urban areas (3.6 times). Overall, the rural North had the highest rate of disturbing the peace violations (1,668 incidents per 100,000 population), which was more than double the rate than what was reported in the rural South (824).

Characteristics of victims of police-reported violent crime

In 2023, women and girls represented a larger proportion of victims of violent crime in rural areas (55%) than in urban areas (48%) (Table 3). In the rural North, women and girls accounted for almost 6 in 10 (57%) victims of violent crime.

The rate of women and girls who were victims of violent crime was also higher in rural areas than in urban areas. In particular, women and girls were victimized at the highest rate in the rural North (3,128 victims per 100,000 women and girls)—2.8 times higher than the rate in the rural South (1,131). Similarly, the rate of women and girl victims was also much higher (2.6 times) in the urban North than in the urban South (2,533 versus 979). 

The rate of men and boy victims was also higher in rural areas of the province than in urban areas. The highest rate of men and boy victims was in the urban North (2,218 victims per 100,000 men and boys), which was more than double the rate reported in the urban South (1,093).

In 2023, police-reported violent crime rates were highest among victims aged 18 to 44 years in both rural (2,571 victims per 100,000 population aged 18 to 44 years) and urban areas (1,612) of British Columbia. Across most age categories, the rate of victims of violent crime was highest in the rural North.

Most victims of violent crime in British Columbia knew the person accused of committing the violence against them. However, this was much more common in rural areas (85%) than in urban areas (63%).

In rural areas, violence was most commonly perpetrated by someone known to the victim other than an intimate partner or non-spousal family member^Note  (35%), or by an intimate partner (31%). In urban areas, the accused was most commonly a stranger (37%), or someone known to the victim other than an intimate partner or non-spousal family member (30%). Victims in rural areas were much less likely to be victimized by a stranger (15%).

A higher proportion of violent crime victims were physically injured in incidents reported by rural police services (49%) than in incidents reported by urban police services (37%). About half of victims in the rural North (52%) and rural South (48%) sustained physical injuries.

Characteristics of police-reported violent crime incidents

In 2023, a larger proportion of police-reported violent incidents in urban areas (18%) than in rural areas (12%) involved the presence of a weapon (Table 4). Police services in the urban North reported the highest proportion of violent incidents involving the presence of a weapon (19%) and the corresponding highest rate (514 incidents per 100,000 population), which was more than double the rate reported by police services in the urban South (233).

Most incidents of violent crime occurred in a private residence in both rural (65%) and urban areas (49%) of British Columbia. A much larger proportion of violent incidents occurred in a private residence in the rural North (69%) than in the urban North (52%).

In urban areas, close to one in four (24%) violent incidents occurred in a commercial or non-residential location, which was much higher than what occurred in rural areas (15%).

In 2023, more than one in four (27%) incidents of violent crime in rural areas and more than one in five (22%) incidents in urban areas were cleared by the laying or recommendation of charges. The highest proportion of incidents were cleared by laying or recommending charges in the rural North (31%). The rural North also had the highest proportion of violent incidents that were classified as being cleared otherwise (19%).^Note  As a result, the proportion of incidents that were not cleared^Note  was lower in the rural North (50%) than in other areas of the province.

Family and intimate partner violence

Rates of police-reported intimate partner violence^Note  (IPV) were highest among women and girl victims, in both rural and urban areas (Table 5). In rural areas, the rate of IPV among women and girls (708 victims per 100,000 women and girls) was more than three times higher than the rate among men and boys (229), while in urban areas, the rate was 3.5 times higher (416 versus 118). As with other types of crime, rates of IPV were generally highest in rural areas of the North for both women and girls and men and boys who were victims.

Over time, the rate of police-reported IPV declined in all parts of the province except for the rural North. From 2013 to 2023, the rate of IPV decreased by 11% in rural areas and by 5% in urban areas (Chart 2). The largest decrease in the rate of IPV was noted in the rural South, which decreased by 16% from 2013 and 2023.

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As with IPV, rates of family violence^Note  were higher among women and girls than men and boys across the province. In rural areas, the rate of family violence against women and girls (694 victims per 100,000 women and girls) was twice as high as the rate against men and boys (339) in 2023 (Table 5). Similarly, in urban areas, the rate of family violence against women and girls was 2.2 times higher than among men and boys (349 versus 156 per 100,000).

From 2013 to 2023, the rate of family violence decreased in both rural (-8%) and urban areas (-2%) (Chart 2). As with IPV, the largest decrease in the rate of family violence was seen in the rural South (-12% from 2013 to 2023).

In both rural and urban areas, rates of IPV and family violence were highest among people aged 18 to 44 years (including both women and girls and men and boys who were victims) (Table 5). The gap between women and girls and men and boys when it came to rates of both of these forms of violence was largest with this age group and grew smaller among older victims.

For both women and girl and men and boy victims, rates of IPV and family violence were more than three times higher in the rural North than in the rural South.

A higher proportion of victims of police-reported IPV and family violence sustained physical injuries in rural areas (54%) than in urban areas (44%).

Characteristics of accused persons

In 2023, women and girls represented a slightly higher proportion of accused persons in rural areas (27%) than in urban areas (24%) of British Columbia, across all large offence categories (Table 6). Women and girls also represented a higher proportion of accused in the North than in the South. However, overall, men and boys represented the largest proportion of accused persons. 

Rates of persons accused of crime were generally higher in rural areas than in urban areas, across most age categories. Rates of crime were generally highest for men and boys aged 25 to 44 years, who frequently make up the largest proportion of accused persons of crime. Men aged 25 to 44 years in the rural North were accused of crime at the highest rate in the province (14,208 accused per 100,000 population aged 25 to 44 years), which was more than twice as high as the rate in this age category among men accused in the rural South (6,184).

Rates of violent crime were also higher in the North than in the South for both women and girl and men and boy accused. For instance, the rate of violent crime for women accused aged 18 to 24 years was three times higher in the rural North than in the rural South (2,511 versus 818 accused per 100,000 population aged 18 to 24 years).

Overall, the median age of accused was similar in rural areas and in urban areas for both men and boy accused (37 years versus 36 years) and women and girl accused (33 years versus 34 years).

When an accused person was identified, charges were less likely to be laid or recommended against them in rural areas (40%) than in urban areas (45%) of British Columbia, regardless of type of crime (Table 7). The remaining incidents were cleared otherwise (i.e., an accused person was identified but no charges were laid or recommended).

In rural areas specifically, there was a large difference in the proportion of persons accused of property crime who had charges laid or recommended against them in the North (20%) compared to the South (34%). For other types of crime, the proportion of accused persons cleared by the laying or recommendation of charges was more similar. For instance, around 6 in 10 accused of a violent incident in the rural North (62%) and in the rural South (58%) had charges laid or recommended against them in 2023.

In both rural and urban areas, incidents involving youth accused (aged 12 to 17 years) were much more likely to be cleared otherwise (79% of cleared incidents involving youth accused were cleared otherwise in rural areas and 68% in urban areas) than those involving adult accused (58% of cleared incidents involving adult accused were cleared otherwise in rural areas and 54% in urban areas).

Tables

Table 1 Demographic and household characteristics, by rural or urban area and North or South region, British Columbia, 2021

Table 2 Police-reported crime, by selected violation, rural or urban area and North or South region, British Columbia, 2023

Table 3 Police-reported violent crime, by victim characteristic, rural or urban area and North or South region, British Columbia, 2023

Table 4 Police-reported violent crime, by incident characteristic, rural or urban area and North or South region, British Columbia, 2023

Table 5 Police-reported family violence and intimate partner violence, by victim characteristic, rural or urban area and North or South region, British Columbia, 2023

Table 6 Police-reported crime, by gender and age group of accused persons, rural or urban area and North or South region, British Columbia, 2023

Table 7 Police-reported crime, by age group of accused, incident clearance status, rural or urban area and North or South region, British Columbia, 2023