The violent crime severity index increased by 5% in Canada last year, representing 5,668 crimes for every 100,000 people in Canada, according to data collected by Statistics Canada.

The federal agency clarified that compared to 2021, the increase in the violent crime severity index last year is primarily explained by rising rates of thefts, extortion, homicides, and sexual assaults.

However, this reality cannot be considered new in 2022. According to analyses based on crimes reported by police in Canada, the crime severity index recorded a 6% increase in 2021 compared to the previous year. This means that violent crimes have been on the rise in Canada over the past two years.

The number of homicides has been rising for the past four years:

Among violent crimes, the homicide rate increased by 8% in Canada, rising from 2.08 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021 to 2.25 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022.

This is the highest rate recorded since 1992, as confirmed by the agency, which notes that the homicide rate has been rising in the country over the past four years.

British Columbia in western Canada leads the provinces that have seen an increase in the number of homicides last year (+30 homicides), followed by Manitoba in the Midwest (+26 homicides) and Quebec with an increase of 20 homicides.

The Canadian territories and provinces where the violent crime severity index decreased include Yukon leading (-5%), Nunavut (-4%), and New Brunswick in eastern Canada (-2%).

Manitoba recorded the highest homicide rate in the country with 6.24 homicides per 100,000 population, followed by Saskatchewan with about six homicides per 100,000 population.

It is noted that Indigenous peoples and racial minorities have the highest homicide rates. According to figures provided by the federal government, firearms were used in 59% of violent crimes committed between 2009 and 2020.

Firearms:

Violent crimes committed with firearms increased by 4% nationwide in 2022, meaning there were 12.2 such crimes for every 100,000 people, marking an increase recorded for the eighth consecutive year, as noted by analysts at Statistics Canada.

Less pronounced increase in non-violent crimes:

As for the non-violent crime severity index, it rose by 4% in 2022 in Canada, but it still remains 6% lower than in 2019.

The agency reported that the increase in the severity index for non-violent crimes last year was largely due to higher rates of many property crimes, including motor vehicle thefts (+24%), break and enter (+4%), petty thefts valued at $5,000 or less (+10%), and overall fraud crimes (+7%).

In contrast, rates of drug offenses, forgery, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs declined last year.

The federal agency also noted that the violent crime severity index saw a significant decrease in Canada in 2020. It attributes this to the precautionary measures imposed by authorities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this index has begun to rise again today.

The agency indicated that the consecutive increases in the violent crime severity index may reflect a return to the upward trend in crime observed before the pandemic began.