Fact sheet: Canada

Victims of police-reported violent crime in Canada, 2023

In 2023, police services across Canada reported 482,891 victims of violent crime and traffic offences causing death or bodily harm (Table 1.1). The national rate was 1,207 victims per 100,000 population.^{Footnote 2}
Most (81%) victims were adults aged 18 and older;^{Footnote 3} 42% of all victims were aged 25 to 44 years, representing the largest proportion of any age group (Table 1.1). Meanwhile, 13% of victims were youth aged 12 to 17 years, and 5% were children aged 11 years and younger. The rate of victims was highest among youth aged 12 to 17 years (2,450 per 100,000 population), followed by young adults aged 18 to 24 years (2,105 per 100,000) and adults aged 25 to 44 years (1,806 per 100,000).^{Footnote 4}
The majority (63%) of police-reported victims of violent crime in 2023 were victims of assault.^{Footnote 5} Assault victims accounted for two-thirds (67%) of adult victims aged 18 years and older, and almost half (49%) of child and youth victims aged 17 years and younger.
The second most commonly reported offence was “other violent violations” which accounted for just over one-quarter of victims (26%).^{Footnote 6} This category includes offences such as robbery, extortion, and uttering threats, among other violent crimes.
Adult victims aged 25 to 44 years old accounted for nearly half (46%) of victims of homicide, attempted murder and other violations causing death (Table 1.1).
Overall, 7% of police-reported victims of violent crime in Canada in 2023 were victims of sexual assault. Adults aged 18 years and older accounted for the majority (63%) of sexual assault victims, with the largest number among adults aged 25 to 44 years who accounted for almost one-third (31%) of all sexual assault victims. Youth aged 12 to 17 years accounted for 28% of sexual assault victims, and 9% were children aged 11 years and younger (Table 1.1).
The majority (58%) of victims of sexual violations against children in 2023 were youth aged 12 to 17 years, and 41% were children aged 11 years and younger (Table 1.1).
While more than half (53%) of victims of police-reported violent crime were female, they accounted for the vast majority of victims of sexual assault (89%) and sexual violations against children (83%) (Table 1.2).
Almost three-quarters (73%) of victims of homicide, attempted murder or other violations causing death were male, and they accounted for more than half (57%) of victims of traffic violations causing death or bodily harm (Table 1.2).
Male and female victims of police-reported sexual assault differed notably by age. The majority (65%) of female sexual assault victims were adults aged 18 years and older, while only half (49%) of male sexual assault victims were adults.^{Footnote 7}
Compared to female victims, sexual offences were less common among male children and youth aged 17 years and younger, as 5% were victims of sexual assault and 4% were victims of sexual violations against children (23% and 17%, respectively, among female victims).^{Footnote 8} However, assault was more commonly reported among male child and youth victims (59%) than female child and youth victims (38%).

Detailed data tables

Table 1.1: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Canada, 2023

Table 1.1: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Canada, 2023
Type of violation	Total victims, all ages		Child and youth victims				Adult victims
	Total victims, all ages		11 years and younger		12 to 17 years		18 to 24 years		25 to 44 years		45 to 64 years		65 years and older
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder	1,639	100%	75	4.6%	92	5.7%	262	16.1%	745	45.8%	352	21.6%	102	6.3%
Sexual assaults	35,602	100%	3,336	9.4%	9,928	28.1%	7,319	20.7%	10,886	30.8%	3,084	8.7%	825	2.3%
Sexual violations against children	10,199	100%	4,134	40.8%	5,882	58.1%	90	0.9%	22	0.2%	3	0	0	0
Assaults	306,956	100%	14,157	4.7%	29,021	9.6%	44,442	14.7%	138,206	45.8%	62,354	20.7%	13,301	4.4%
Other violent violations	125,520	100%	4,000	3.2%	17,627	14.2%	19,795	15.9%	50,178	40.4%	26,659	21.5%	5,891	4.7%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm	2,975	100%	136	4.6%	250	8.4%	507	17.1%	1,187	40.1%	661	22.3%	221	7.5%
Total violent violations	482,891	100%	25,838	5.4%	62,800	13.2%	72,415	15.2%	201,224	42.3%	93,113	19.6%	20,340	4.3%
Table 1.1 footnotes Notes of table 1.1 Notes: Sexual violations against children include historical cases reported by victims as adults. Percentages were calculated by excluding victims whose age was unknown from the total number of victims in the denominator. For Canada, there were 7,161 victims whose age was unknown in 2023. Please use caution when interpreting findings for categories with less than 10 victims. Source of table 1.1 Source: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Table 1.2: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and sex, Canada, 2023

Table 1.2: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and sex, Canada, 2023
Type of violation	Total victims		Female victims		Male victims
Type of violation	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder	1,639	100%	436	26.9%	1,187	73.1%
Sexual assaults	35,602	100%	31,377	88.9%	3,905	11.1%
Sexual violations against children	10,199	100%	8,428	83.1%	1,718	16.9%
Assaults	306,956	100%	147,194	48.6%	155,917	51.4%
Other violent violations	125,520	100%	62,554	50.0%	62,489	50.0%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm	2,975	100%	1,267	42.9%	1,688	57.1%
Total violent violations	482,891	100%	251,256	52.5%	226,904	47.5%
Table 1.2 footnotes Notes of table 1.2 Notes: Sexual violations against children include historical cases reported by victims as adults. Percentages were calculated by excluding victims whose age was unknown from the total number of victims in the denominator. Please use caution when interpreting findings for categories with less than 10 victims. Source of table 1.2 Source: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Table 1.3: Number and percentage of female victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Canada, 2023

Table 1.3: Number and percentage of female victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Canada, 2023
Type of violation	Female victims, all ages		Female child and youth victims				Female adult victims
	Female victims, all ages		11 years and younger		12 to 17 years		18 to 24 years		25 to 44 years		45 to 64 years		65 years and older
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder	436	100%	28	6.4%	21	4.8%	53	12.2%	183	42.0%	104	23.9%	47	10.8%
Sexual assaults	31,377	100%	2,191	7.0%	8,850	28.3%	6,755	21.6%	9,932	31.8%	2,758	8.8%	735	2.4%
Sexual violations against children	8,428	100%	3,190	38.0%	5,100	60.8%	77	0.9%	18	0.2%	1	0	0	0
Assaults	147,194	100%	4,728	3.2%	13,346	9.2%	22,888	15.7%	71,780	49.2%	27,357	18.8%	5,713	3.9%
Other violent violations	62,552	100%	1,954	3.1%	7,941	12.8%	9,621	15.5%	27,313	44.0%	12,690	20.4%	2,596	4.2%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm	1,269	100%	53	4.2%	111	8.8%	222	17.5%	499	39.4%	278	21.9%	104	8.2%
Total violent violations	251,256	100%	12,144	4.9%	35,369	14.2%	39,616	15.9%	109,725	44.0%	43,188	17.3%	9,195	3.7%
Table 1.3 footnotes Notes of table 1.3 Notes: Sexual violations against children include historical cases reported by victims as adults. Percentages were calculated by excluding victims whose age was unknown from the total number of victims in the denominator. Please use caution when interpreting findings for categories with less than 10 victims. Source of table 1.3 Source: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Table 1.4: Number and percentage of male victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Canada, 2023

Table 1.4: Number and percentage of male victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Canada, 2023
Type of violation	Male victims, all ages		Male child and youth victims				Male adult victims
	Male victims, all ages		11 years and younger		12 to 17 years		18 to 24 years		25 to 44 years		45 to 64 years		65 years and older
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder	1,187	100%	40	3.4%	70	5.9%	208	17.7%	559	47.5%	246	20.9%	54	4.6%
Sexual assaults	3,905	100%	946	24.4%	1,046	27.0%	550	14.2%	929	24.0%	316	8.2%	88	2.3%
Sexual violations against children	1,718	100%	915	53.9%	765	45.0%	13	0.8%	4	0.2%	2	0.1%	0	0
Assaults	155,917	100%	7,134	4.7%	15,565	10.2%	21,429	14.0%	66,058	43.3%	34,875	22.9%	7,560	5.0%
Other violent violations	62,489	100%	1,898	3.1%	9,640	15.6%	10,135	16.4%	22,781	36.9%	13,939	22.6%	3,291	5.3%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm	1,688	100%	70	4.2%	139	8.3%	285	17.0%	686	40.9%	382	22.8%	116	6.9%
Total violent violations	226,904	100%	11,003	4.9%	27,225	12.2%	32,620	14.6%	91,017	40.9%	49,760	22.3%	11,109	5.0%
Table 1.4 footnotes Notes of table 1.4 Notes: Sexual violations against children include historical cases reported by victims as adults. Percentages were calculated by excluding victims whose age was unknown from the total number of victims in the denominator. Please use caution when interpreting findings for categories with less than 10 victims. Source of table 1.4 Source: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Footnotes

Footnote 2

Rates are from a custom tabulation of the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey by Statistics Canada, the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics.

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Footnote 3

Calculations based on Table 1.1.

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Footnote 4

Rates are from a custom tabulation of the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey by Statistics Canada, the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics.

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Footnote 5

Calculations based on Table 1.1.

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Footnote 6

Ibid.

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Footnote 7

Calculations based on Tables 1.3 and 1.4.

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Footnote 8