Homicide rate from firearms in Canada
Canada: Homicide rate from firearms was 0.7354 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
0.7354 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
down 16.8%
World rank
36th
of 82 countries
All-time high
0.8835 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2022
All-time low
0.3797 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2013
Years of data
19
2005–2023
Homicide rate from firearms in Canada, 2005–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in homicides per 100,000 population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for homicide rate from firearms in Canada is 0.7354 homicides per 100,000 population, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 16.8% on the previous year and up 93.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate from firearms in Canada peaked at 0.8835 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.3797 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2013.
Canada ranks 36th of 82 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Homicide rate from firearms in Canada, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 0.6628 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 2006 | 0.5708 homicides per 100,000 population | -13.9% |
| 2007 | 0.5651 homicides per 100,000 population | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.6009 homicides per 100,000 population | +6.3% |
| 2009 | 0.538 homicides per 100,000 population | -10.5% |
| 2010 | 0.5117 homicides per 100,000 population | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 0.4601 homicides per 100,000 population | -10.1% |
| 2012 | 0.4897 homicides per 100,000 population | +6.4% |
| 2013 | 0.3797 homicides per 100,000 population | -22.5% |
| 2014 | 0.435 homicides per 100,000 population | +14.6% |
| 2015 | 0.4977 homicides per 100,000 population | +14.4% |
| 2016 | 0.6134 homicides per 100,000 population | +23.2% |
| 2017 | 0.7254 homicides per 100,000 population | +18.3% |
| 2018 | 0.673 homicides per 100,000 population | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 0.6987 homicides per 100,000 population | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 0.7335 homicides per 100,000 population | +5.0% |
| 2021 | 0.7776 homicides per 100,000 population | +6.0% |
| 2022 | 0.8835 homicides per 100,000 population | +13.6% |
| 2023 | 0.7354 homicides per 100,000 population | -16.8% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 0.7354 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.21 homicides per 100,000 population, 3.5× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.5875 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.538 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.6628 homicides per 100,000 population | 5 |
| 2010s | 0.5484 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.3797 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.7254 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7825 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.7335 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.8835 homicides per 100,000 population | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 33 Egypt 2.02 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 34 Thailand 1.46 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 35 Albania 0.8892 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 37 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.7221 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 38 Uganda 0.66 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 39 Sweden 0.5023 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for Canada
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 416,028 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 360 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 360 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.01 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate from firearms in Canada?
- Homicide rate from firearms in Canada was 0.7354 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate from firearms recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 0.8835 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022.
- What is the lowest homicide rate from firearms recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3797 homicides per 100,000 population in 2013.
- How does Canada rank for homicide rate from firearms?
- Canada ranks 36th out of 82 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicide rate from firearms rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 93.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicide rate from firearms. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population where the weapon was a firearm.