Crime severity down in Canada after three-year rise, driven by drop in non-violent offences
OTTAWA — Crime in Canada became less severe in 2024, reversing a three-year upward trend, as non-violent offences such as break-ins and motor vehicle theft declined sharply, new national data show.
Statistics Canada reported that the Crime Severity Index (CSI), which measures both the volume and seriousness of police-reported crime, fell four per cent last year. It marked only the second decline in a decade, with the other recorded in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The agency said the overall CSI is now 34 per cent lower than its peak in 1998, the first year such data were tracked. The police-reported crime rate, which looks only at volume and excludes traffic offences, also dropped four per cent to 5,672 incidents per 100,000 people in 2024.
Non-violent crime had the largest impact on the decline. The non-violent CSI fell by six per cent after rising nine per cent between 2021 and 2023. This component includes property crimes and drug offences.
Breaking and entering, motor vehicle theft, theft of $5,000 or under, mischief and child pornography were the top five non-violent offences driving the overall decline. Together, they accounted for 75 per cent of the drop in the CSI.
The rate of break-ins fell 11 per cent to 293 incidents per 100,000 people, continuing a downward trend that began in the early 2000s. Despite the drop, break-ins remained the most severe type of property crime in 2024, making up 13 per cent of the total CSI. The national rate is now about 32 per cent lower than a decade ago and down 75 per cent from its 1998 peak.
Motor vehicle theft saw a 17 per cent decrease to 239 incidents per 100,000 people, reversing a three-year climb that followed a record low in 2020. While the decline was most pronounced in Ontario and Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia also saw reductions. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta continued to report the highest rates in the country, even though all three provinces experienced decreases.
Theft of $5,000 or under fell nine per cent and mischief was down six per cent. Meanwhile, child pornography offences, which include both online and offline incidents, dropped 15 per cent to 46 incidents per 100,000 people. That followed a sharp 54 per cent increase in 2023 that had been linked to more historical and current cases being brought forward through specialized police units and the National Child Exploitation Crime Centre. Although lower in 2024, the rate of child pornography offences remains 30 per cent above 2022 levels and more than 12 times higher than in 2008.
Shoplifting, by contrast, rose sharply. The rate of shoplifting incidents under $5,000 increased by 14 per cent to 442 incidents per 100,000 people. It was the fourth consecutive annual increase and brought the total number of police-reported shoplifting cases to over 182,000 in 2024. Statistics Canada noted that online reporting and growing concern from retailers may have contributed to the rise. Since 2014, the shoplifting rate has climbed by 66 per cent.
Cybercrime also saw a notable shift. Although the total rate of cyber-related offences declined by nine per cent in 2024, it remains more than double what it was in 2018. Cybercrimes such as fraud, extortion and child pornography continue to play a significant role in shaping CSI trends. Seventy per cent of child pornography cases in 2024 were classified as cyber incidents.
Extortion dropped by 10 per cent to 32 incidents per 100,000 people, following four years of increases. The decrease was largely attributed to fewer cyber-related incidents, which fell 18 per cent. Non-cyber extortion dropped by two per cent. Overall, just under half of all reported extortion cases had a cyber component.
The national fraud rate remained stable at 436 incidents per 100,000 people. Identity theft also held steady, while identity fraud rose slightly by two per cent to 50 incidents per 100,000. Statistics Canada noted that just over one-quarter of all fraud cases involved cyber elements, making fraud the largest single category of cybercrime.
Despite the positive trend in overall crime severity, hate crimes continued to climb. For the sixth straight year, the number of police-reported hate crimes increased, rising by one per cent to 4,882 incidents in 2024. This followed a significant
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