Crime Declines Across Canada as National Severity Index Falls Nearly 5%

Canada recorded another decline in police-reported crime in 2025, with the national Crime Severity Index falling by nearly 5%, marking its second consecutive annual decrease.

The improvement was largely driven by fewer homicides, break-and-enter offences and motor vehicle thefts, according to newly released data from Statistics Canada.

The Crime Severity Index, which measures both the volume and seriousness of police-reported offences by assigning greater weight to more serious crimes, fell 4.9% to 75 points in 2025, down from approximately 78.8 in 2024.

Canada’s conventional police-reported crime rate also decreased by 2.4% to 5,585 incidents per 100,000 people.

Statistics Canada reported that the Violent Crime Severity Index declined by 4.2%, while the Non-Violent Crime Severity Index fell by 5.3%. The figures indicate that the seriousness of reported offences declined more sharply than the overall number of incidents.

Police services across Canada reported approximately 2.32 million Criminal Code incidents during the year.

Break-and-enter offences were the largest contributor to the decline in the national index. The rate fell by 11% for the third consecutive year, with police recording approximately 109,753 incidents.

The break-and-enter rate was 41% lower than in 2015 and 77% below the level recorded in 1998.

Motor vehicle theft also dropped significantly, falling by 16% for the second year in a row. Police recorded 83,652 stolen vehicles, representing a rate of 201 incidents per 100,000 people.

The national vehicle theft rate is now 64% below its historical peak recorded in 2003.

Homicides experienced one of the most notable declines. The number of victims dropped from 797 in 2024 to 672 in 2025, while the homicide rate fell by 16% to 1.61 victims per 100,000 people.

Statistics Canada described it as the country’s largest annual decline in the homicide rate since 1986.

Other improvements included a 4% decrease in fraud, a 10% decline in possession of stolen property and a 5% reduction in thefts involving property valued at $5,000 or less.

However, not every category of crime moved downward.

Shoplifting involving property valued at $5,000 or less increased by 11%, reaching approximately 208,941 incidents. It was the fifth consecutive annual increase in shoplifting, with the rate now 79% higher than it was in 2015.

The Crime Severity Index declined in most Canadian provinces and territories. New Brunswick was among the exceptions, recording an increase of 6%, while Nunavut experienced a 10% rise.

Ontario’s Crime Severity Index declined by 6.2%, while the province’s conventional crime rate fell by 3.7%.

Among Canada’s largest cities, Toronto recorded a 7% decrease in its Crime Severity Index and a 5% decline in its police-reported crime rate.

Ottawa’s Crime Severity Index dropped by 6%, while the capital’s overall crime rate declined by approximately 2%.

Statistics Canada emphasized that the figures cover only crimes reported to and officially recorded by police. They do not necessarily reflect every offence that occurred, as reporting rates can vary depending on the type of crime, local policing practices and public willingness to contact authorities.

Although the national decline signals meaningful progress, the continued increase in shoplifting and the uneven results across provinces and territories show that Canada still faces significant public safety challenges.

The overall figures nevertheless reflect a clear reduction in several serious offences that have caused growing concern among Canadians in recent years.