Homicides, by sex of the victim in Canada
Canada: Homicides, by sex of the victim was 205 homicides in 2023. ▼ Falling
Homicides, by sex of the victim in Canada, 1990–2023
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.
Analysis
The most recent figure for homicides, by sex of the victim in Canada is 205 homicides, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 35.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides, by sex of the victim in Canada peaked at 276.39 homicides in 1991 and was at its lowest, 147 homicides, in 2008.
That places Canada 29th out of 138 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Homicides, by sex of the victim in Canada, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 236 homicides | — |
| 1991 | 276.39 homicides | +17.1% |
| 1992 | 238.19 homicides | -13.8% |
| 1993 | 199.94 homicides | -16.1% |
| 1994 | 204.65 homicides | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 190.87 homicides | -6.7% |
| 1996 | 207.2 homicides | +8.6% |
| 1997 | 198.51 homicides | -4.2% |
| 1998 | 185.53 homicides | -6.5% |
| 1999 | 166.83 homicides | -10.1% |
| 2000 | 149 homicides | -10.7% |
| 2001 | 162.29 homicides | +8.9% |
| 2002 | 207 homicides | +27.5% |
| 2003 | 156.43 homicides | -24.4% |
| 2004 | 200 homicides | +27.9% |
| 2005 | 180 homicides | -10.0% |
| 2006 | 162 homicides | -10.0% |
| 2007 | 166 homicides | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 147 homicides | -11.4% |
| 2009 | 162 homicides | +10.2% |
| 2010 | 155 homicides | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 180 homicides | +16.1% |
| 2012 | 157 homicides | -12.8% |
| 2013 | 151 homicides | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 154 homicides | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 179 homicides | +16.2% |
| 2016 | 155 homicides | -13.4% |
| 2017 | 173 homicides | +11.6% |
| 2018 | 168 homicides | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 155 homicides | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 181 homicides | +16.8% |
| 2021 | 202 homicides | +11.6% |
| 2022 | 206 homicides | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 205 homicides | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 210.41 homicides | 166.83 homicides | 276.39 homicides | 10 |
| 2000s | 169.17 homicides | 147 homicides | 207 homicides | 10 |
| 2010s | 162.7 homicides | 151 homicides | 180 homicides | 10 |
| 2020s | 198.5 homicides | 181 homicides | 206 homicides | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More social development data for Canada
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- 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)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides, by sex of the victim in Canada?
- Homicides, by sex of the victim in Canada was 205 homicides 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 homicides, by sex of the victim recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 276.39 homicides in 1991.
- What is the lowest homicides, by sex of the victim recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 147 homicides in 2008.
- How does Canada rank for homicides, by sex of the victim?
- Canada ranks 29th out of 138 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicides, by sex of the victim rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Homicides, by sex of the victim. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of intentional homicidesof female victims .