Rural crime fact sheets, 2023: Ontario

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Demographic and household characteristics

The province of Ontario was home to 14,842,488 people in 2021. Among them, 10% lived in the province’s rural areas, while the remaining 90% resided in urban areas.^Note 

According to the latest data from the Census of Population, residents of rural areas were slightly older than their urban counterparts, with 65% being aged 35 and older in 2021 (compared to 58% of those in urban areas) (Table 1). This distribution of ages was similar in the rural North and rural South of the province.

Overall, 10% of rural residents were First Nations, Métis or Inuit (Indigenous), a proportion that was considerably higher than in urban areas (2%). In the rural North specifically, Indigenous peoples made up over one-quarter (28%) of residents. The urban North was also home to a sizable proportion of Indigenous residents (13%).

In urban areas, over one-third (35%) of residents were immigrants and non-permanent residents. This was mostly reflective of the urban South, as the majority of residents of the urban North had been born in Canada (92%)—a proportion equal to that in rural areas (92%). A similar pattern was noted when it came to presence of racialized people, with the largest proportion of those who identified this way residing in the urban South (39%).

Educational attainment varied between the rural and urban areas of Ontario, with more than double the proportion of urban residents reporting having attained a bachelor’s degree or higher (38% versus 16% in rural areas). Rates of university education were especially high in the urban South (39% versus 17% in the rural South), and rates in the urban North (23%) were higher than those in Northern rural areas (13%).

A slightly larger proportion of people living in urban areas were in the labour force (63%) in 2021 compared to those in rural areas (57%), meaning more people in rural areas were retired, disabled, or otherwise not working or looking for work. However, the unemployment rate for those who were in the labour force was somewhat higher in urban areas (12%, versus 9% in rural areas).

The proportions of households falling into the various after-tax income brackets were generally comparable between rural and urban areas. Urban areas reported a larger proportion of households earning $100,000 or more (37%, versus 30% of rural areas), driven largely by households in the urban South (38%). Rural and urban areas were home to relatively equal proportion of households that met the threshold of low-income^Note  (11% of rural and 10% of urban households), though the proportion of low-income households in the rural North specifically was somewhat higher (15%).

Rural and urban areas were roughly comparable when it came to the number of people living in each household. Rural areas (41%), particularly the rural South (42%), tended to have more two-person households than the urban areas (32%), while the latter was home to more households with three or more residents.

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, almost one in ten (9%) Ontario residents lived in an area served by a police service whose jurisdiction was primarily rural.^Note 

Police-reported data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey show that rural police services in Ontario reported 59,952 Criminal Code violations (excluding traffic) in 2023, representing a rate of 4,120 incidents per 100,000 population (Table 2).^Note  This rate was lower than what was reported by urban police services (4,491 incidents per 100,000 population).

The crime rate in the rural areas of the province remained stable in comparison to previous years, with a 1% increase from 2022 and no change from 2018.^Note  In contrast, the crime rate in urban areas increased in 2023, growing by 8% from 2022 and by 9% from 2018.

The crime rate was highest in the rural North in 2023 (8,438 incidents per 100,000 population)—more than 2.8 times higher than the rate reported in the rural South (3,001), which recorded the province’s lowest rate in 2023. Over time, the rural North has seen fluctuations and a general increase in the overall crime rate, while the rate in the rural South has remained markedly stable (Chart 1).

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Urban areas of the province also differed in terms of their crime rates, depending on whether they were situated in northern or southern regions. The urban North recorded a higher rate in 2023 (6,577 incidents per 100,000 population) than the urban South (4,405) (Table 2). The crime rate in the urban North decreased slightly between 2022 and 2023 (-2%), while increasing in the urban South during that time (+8%).

Characteristics of police-reported violent crime

The rate of police-reported violent crime was higher in rural areas of the province (1,316 incidents per 100,000 population) than in the urban areas in 2023 (1,029) (Table 2). This difference was largely reflective of assaults and firearm-specific offences, the rate of which was the highest among violent crime types in all areas and which was 30% higher in rural areas of the province (733 incidents per 100,000, versus 565 per 100,000 in urban areas). Sexual offences, though comparatively less common, showed the largest difference in rate between rural (181 incidents per 100,000) and urban (101 per 100,000) areas among all violent crime. Violent crime accounted for a larger proportion of all criminal incidents reported by police in rural areas (29%) than in urban areas (22%).

The violent crime rate increased in both rural and urban areas of the province in 2023: in rural areas, violent crime increased by 7% from 2022 and 16% from 2018, with similar increases in urban areas (+5% and +17%, respectively). The rate of sexual offences increased from 2018 in rural areas in particular (+20%, versus +8% in urban areas) with a particularly large increase recorded in the rural North (+31%).

The highest rate of violent crime in Ontario was noted in the rural North (3,136 incidents per 100,000 population), while the rural South recorded the lowest rate (845). Among urban areas, police services in the North reported a violent crime rate that was almost double the rate in the South (1,887 and 994 incidents per 100,000 population, respectively).

Characteristics of police-reported non-violent crime

Police services in rural areas of Ontario reported 29,711 incidents of property crime in 2023, translating to a rate of 2,042 incidents per 100,000 population (Table 2) —a rate 30% lower than what was reported by urban police services (2,897). The rural property crime rate decreased 2% from what was reported in 2022 and 9% from 2018, bringing it closer to the rate recorded in urban areas, which saw increases since 2022 (+9%) and 2018 (+12%).

In 2023, two of the most commonly-reported types of property crime in rural areas were theft of $5,000 or under (616 incidents per 100,000 population) and mischief (470), both of which decreased from 2018 and 2022. These violations were also among the most common types of property crime reported by urban police services, though the rate of theft of $5,000 or under was more than twice as high in urban areas (1,403 incidents per 100,000) after experiencing a 10% increase from 2022 to 2023.

Like other types of crime, rates of property crime were higher in the rural North (3,328 incidents per 100,000) than in the rural South (1,709); however, the gap between rates in the rural North and the rural South was smaller for property crime compared to what was noted with violent crime. Additionally, property crime was the only type of crime for which the rate in the rural North was lower than what was recorded in the urban North (3,434 incidents per 100,000).

The rate of other Criminal Code offences in rural Ontario was 762 incidents per 100,000 population in 2023, a rate which remained stable from 2022 (-1%) and unchanged from 2018 (Table 2). Offences against the administration of justice—which include violations like breaches of conditions—and disturbing the peace were two high-volume offence types in this category of crime (517 and 118 incidents per 100,000, respectively).

Overall, rural areas recorded a rate of other Criminal Code offences that was 35% higher than the rate noted in the urban areas of the province (565 incidents per 100,000). The rate of disturbing the peace specifically was almost four times higher in rural areas than in urban areas (118 versus 32 incidents per 100,000). This difference was largely driven by the rate in the rural North, which was considerably higher than the rates in other areas of the province (359 per 100,000, compared to 56, 66, and 31 in the rural South, urban North, and urban South, respectively). Compared to 2018, rates of disturbing the peace have increased in all areas, including a 46% increase in the urban North.

The rate of offences against the administration of justice was 20% higher in rural versus urban areas. With this type of crime, however, the pattern was different than with disturbing the peace, as rates in the rural North (1,350 per 100,000) were similar to those in the urban North (1,033). Rates of administration of justice offences were considerably lower in both the rural and urban South (301 and 407 incidents per 100,000, respectively), and saw declines in all areas since 2018.

Characteristics of victims of police-reported crime

Women and girls accounted for more than half of all victims of police-reported violent crime in both rural (59%) and urban (53%) areas of the province in 2023 (Table 3).

Overall, the rate of violent victimization among women and girls was somewhat higher in rural areas (1,116 victims per 100,000 women and girls) than in urban areas (936).

Among men and boys, rates of violence were lower in rural areas (795 victims per 100,000) than in urban areas (844).

Police services in the rural North reported the highest rate of violent crime against women and girls (2,568 per 100,000), while police services in the rural South reported the lowest (859). This pattern was similar when it came to men and boy victims of violent crime.

While most victims of violent crime knew the accused, 3 in 10 (30%) victims in urban areas of the province did not. Violence committed by a stranger was most common in urban areas in the South of the province (31% of victims). 

Slightly more than 3 in 10 (32%) victims in rural areas and one-quarter (25%) of victims in urban areas were victimized by an intimate partner.^Note  Somewhat higher proportions of those victimized by non-spousal family members^Note  were also recorded in rural areas (17%) compared to urban areas (12%).

In rural areas, around one-third (34%) of victims of police-reported violent crime experienced some level of injury as a result.^Note  This was a slightly lower proportion than in urban areas of the province (37%).

Characteristics of police-reported violent crime incidents

In 2023, the large majority of violent incidents reported by rural (86%) and urban (81%) police services in Ontario did not involve the presence of a weapon (Table 4). 

Rural areas recorded slightly lower rates of violent incidents with a weapon present than urban areas (136 and 176 incidents per 100,000 population, respectively).

More than 7 in 10 (72%) violent incidents reported by rural police services in 2023 occurred in a private residence—a larger proportion than what was reported by urban police services (55%). In urban areas, larger proportions of incidents occurred in commercial or non-residential locations (24%, versus 17% in rural areas) or on public transportation, streets, roads or open areas (20% versus 11%). These patterns were consistent among northern and southern regions of the province.

A police-reported incident can be classified as not cleared,^Note  cleared by charge or “cleared otherwise” (i.e., an accused had been identified but charges were not laid or recommended).^Note  In 2023, around half of all violent crime incidents in rural (53%) and urban (42%) areas resulted in charges being laid or recommended by police (Table 4). Notably, in the rural areas of the province, more incidents were cleared through means other than by charge (21%, versus 13% in urban areas).

Family and intimate partner violence

Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) were highest among women and girls, in both rural and urban areas (Table 5). In rural areas, rates of IPV among women and girls (548 victims per 100,000 women and girls) were more than 3 times higher than rates among men (167), while in urban areas, they were nearly 4 times higher (410 versus 106, respectively). As with other types of crime, these rates (against both women and girls and men and boys) were highest in the rural North.

Over time, the rate of police-reported IPV has risen across the province. In rural areas, the rate of IPV increased by 28% from 2013 to 2023, reflecting sizable growth in the rural North in particular (+42%) (Chart 2). In urban areas, IPV increased by 20% between 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 (Table 5). In rural areas, the rate of family violence against women and girls (435 victims per 100,000 women and girls) was just over two times higher than the rate against men and boys (193). In urban areas, rates of family violence against women and girls were also more than twice as high as rates among men and boys (313 per 100,000 versus 131). Family violence rates against women and girls were consistently about twice as high as those against men and boys, across northern and southern urban and rural areas.

Rates of family violence increased from 2013, in both rural (+21%) and urban (+23%) areas (Chart 2). As with intimate partner violence, the largest increase was noted in the rural North (+31%), though the urban North also saw sizable growth (+28%).

In both rural and urban areas, rates of intimate partner and family violence were highest among people aged 18 to 44 (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 these forms of violence was largest with this age group, and grew smaller among older victims.

The proportion of victims who sustained physical injury through intimate partner or family violence was higher in urban areas (44%, versus 40% in rural areas).

Characteristics of accused persons

Across all regions in 2023, men and women aged 25 to 44 had the highest rates of being accused of crime (Table 6). In rural areas, the rate of accused men in this age group was 5,909 per 100,000 men aged 25 to 44, while in urban areas, the rate was 4,267 per 100,000 men aged 25 to 44. The highest rate was recorded in the rural North, with 14,264 accused per 100,000 men aged 25 to 44. These rates were considerably higher than what was noted for women in this age group (2,527 accused per 100,000 women aged 25 to 44 in rural areas and 1,451 in urban areas, and a rate of 7,046 in the rural North specifically).

Once an accused has been identified by police, the incident can be either cleared by charge (charges laid or recommended) or cleared otherwise (no charges laid or recommended). When it came to crime overall, the proportion of accused adults whose incidents were cleared by charge was lower in rural (76%) than urban areas (81%) in 2023 (Table 7). 

Lower rates of clearance by charge were noted in rural areas across the main crime types, including violent crime (75% of adults accused cleared by charge in rural areas, versus 81% in urban areas), property crime (66% and 74%) and other Criminal Code offences (84% and 88%).

When it came to youth accused of crime, the proportion for whom incidents were cleared by charge was generally lower, due to the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Notably, clearance by charge was more common for youth in rural areas when it came to both property crime (40%, versus 36% in urban areas) and other Criminal Code offences (71% versus 68%), and was almost equal in both rural and urban areas when it came to violent crime (54% and 55%, respectively).

Tables

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

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

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

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

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

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

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