Toronto crime down: StatCan
Statistics Canada reports a decline in both the overall crime rate and the Crime Severity Index for Toronto and the nation in 2025. Despite these positive trends, police leadership notes that high-profile violent incidents continue to negatively impact public perception of community safety.
Why it matters
The discrepancy between statistical crime reduction and public perception of safety highlights the ongoing challenge for law enforcement in maintaining community trust during periods of high-profile violence.
Both the crime rate and an index that captures the severity of crimes committed in Toronto and Ontario were down last year, according to new data released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday.
Officials with the national statistics agency say that the rate of break-and-enters nationwide decreased for a third consecutive year and were the largest contributor to the decline of what’s known as the Crime Severity Index (CSI) in Canada in 2025.
Homicides, vehicle thefts, fraud, and police-reported child sexual abuse were also down across the country. Incidents of shoplifting under $5,000, however, were up 11 per cent.
The CSI, which measures both crime volume and severity, weighing more serious offences more heavily, decreased seven per cent in Toronto last year. The conventional crime rate, which covers all Criminal Code offences excluding traffic violations, dropped five per cent.
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