Homicides (WHO Mortality) in Canada
Canada: Homicides (WHO Mortality) was 454 deaths in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
454 deaths
Change on year
up 28.2%
World rank
24th
of 113 countries
All-time high
622 deaths
in 1991
All-time low
129 deaths
in 1950
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Homicides in Canada, 1950–2024
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
The most recent figure for homicides in Canada is 454 deaths, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 28.2% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Canada peaked at 622 deaths in 1991 and was at its lowest, 129 deaths, in 1950.
That places Canada 24th out of 113 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 75 years of available data.
Homicides (WHO Mortality) in Canada, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 129 deaths | — |
| 1951 | 146 deaths | +13.2% |
| 1952 | 148 deaths | +1.4% |
| 1953 | 166 deaths | +12.2% |
| 1954 | 168 deaths | +1.2% |
| 1955 | 168 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 181 deaths | +7.7% |
| 1957 | 172 deaths | -5.0% |
| 1958 | 201 deaths | +16.9% |
| 1959 | 175 deaths | -12.9% |
| 1960 | 248 deaths | +41.7% |
| 1961 | 217 deaths | -12.5% |
| 1962 | 259 deaths | +19.4% |
| 1963 | 244 deaths | -5.8% |
| 1964 | 241 deaths | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 259 deaths | +7.5% |
| 1966 | 251 deaths | -3.1% |
| 1967 | 316 deaths | +25.9% |
| 1968 | 338 deaths | +7.0% |
| 1969 | 381 deaths | +12.7% |
| 1970 | 433 deaths | +13.6% |
| 1971 | 473 deaths | +9.2% |
| 1972 | 513 deaths | +8.5% |
| 1973 | 540 deaths | +5.3% |
| 1974 | 551 deaths | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 613 deaths | +11.3% |
| 1976 | 563 deaths | -8.2% |
| 1977 | 607 deaths | +7.8% |
| 1978 | 586 deaths | -3.5% |
| 1979 | 583 deaths | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 495 deaths | -15.1% |
| 1981 | 560 deaths | +13.1% |
| 1982 | 592 deaths | +5.7% |
| 1983 | 592 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 580 deaths | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 537 deaths | -7.4% |
| 1986 | 513 deaths | -4.5% |
| 1987 | 565 deaths | +10.1% |
| 1988 | 487 deaths | -13.8% |
| 1989 | 552 deaths | +13.3% |
| 1990 | 554 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 622 deaths | +12.3% |
| 1992 | 597 deaths | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 526 deaths | -11.9% |
| 1994 | 498 deaths | -5.3% |
| 1995 | 489 deaths | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 511 deaths | +4.5% |
| 1997 | 431 deaths | -15.7% |
| 1998 | 467 deaths | +8.4% |
| 1999 | 462 deaths | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 467 deaths | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 463 deaths | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 462 deaths | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 447 deaths | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 515 deaths | +15.2% |
| 2005 | 576 deaths | +11.8% |
| 2006 | 487 deaths | -15.5% |
| 2007 | 515 deaths | +5.7% |
| 2008 | 575 deaths | +11.7% |
| 2009 | 574 deaths | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 524 deaths | -8.7% |
| 2011 | 527 deaths | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 493 deaths | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 446 deaths | -9.5% |
| 2014 | 439 deaths | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 456 deaths | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 475 deaths | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 564 deaths | +18.7% |
| 2018 | 522 deaths | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 546 deaths | +4.6% |
| 2020 | 582 deaths | +6.6% |
| 2021 | 497 deaths | -14.6% |
| 2022 | 499 deaths | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 354 deaths | -29.1% |
| 2024 | 454 deaths | +28.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 454 deaths is above the median for high income countries, which is 63.5 deaths, 7.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 165.4 deaths | 129 deaths | 201 deaths | 10 |
| 1960s | 275.4 deaths | 217 deaths | 381 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 546.2 deaths | 433 deaths | 613 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 547.3 deaths | 487 deaths | 592 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 515.7 deaths | 431 deaths | 622 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 508.1 deaths | 447 deaths | 576 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 499.2 deaths | 439 deaths | 564 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 477.2 deaths | 354 deaths | 582 deaths | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
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 homicides in Canada?
- Homicides in Canada was 454 deaths in 2024, according to WHO Mortality Database (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 622 deaths in 1991.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 129 deaths in 1950.
- How does Canada rank for homicides?
- Canada ranks 24th out of 113 countries with data for 2024.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicides. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Reported deaths from homicide, based on the underlying cause listed on death certificates.