New Study Highlights Rising Crime Trends Across Canada

THUNDER BAY – NEWS – A new report from the Fraser Institute reveals that Canada’s violent and property crime rates, adjusted for population, have outpaced those of the United States, challenging the perception of Canada as the safer country.

“Data no longer supports the idea that Canada is significantly safer than the U.S., as both violent and property crime rates are now higher north of the border,” said Livio Di Matteo, a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of the study Comparing Recent Crime Trends in Canada and the United States: An Introduction.

Key Findings

The report compares crime rates from 2014—when Canadian crime rates were at their lowest—to 2022, the most recent year of comparable data:

• Violent Crime Rates: Canada’s violent crime rate rose 43.8% to 434.1 per 100,000 people, surpassing the U.S. violent crime rate of 380.7 per 100,000, which increased by just 5.3% over the same period.
• Property Crime Rates: Canada’s property crime rate grew 7.0% to 2491.0 per 100,000 people, while the U.S. saw a 24.1% decline to 1954.4 per 100,000 people.
• Homicides: The murder rate in Canada rose 53.4%, from 1.5 per 100,000 people in 2014 to 2.3 per 100,000 in 2022. Although the U.S. homicide rate remains higher at 5.8 per 100,000, it also saw a 49.4% increase during the same period.

Implications for Canada

The Fraser Institute notes that while Canada’s crime rates remain historically low, their upward trend should concern Canadians. The report highlights growing issues with violent crime, including murder, robbery, and assault with a weapon, as well as a rise in property crimes such as theft and burglary.

“Understanding these crime trends is vital for developing effective public policies to ensure safety,” Di Matteo stated.

The full report marks the first chapter in a broader study comparing crime trends between Canada and the U.S.