Non-violent crime, which includes property offenses, declined six per cent in 2024 according to new information published July 22 by Statistics Canada.
Summarized in the report, Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2024, they say breaking and entering was down 11 per cent between 2023 and 2024 while motor vehicle theft declined 17 per cent during the same period.
In 2024, the overall police-reported crime rate in Canada decreased four per cent, following three consecutive years of increases. Although breaking and entering declined during the period, it remained the most frequent violation, accounting for 13 per cent of the overall index. A decline was recorded in every province while the territories saw increases – one per cent in Nunavut and a jump of 17 per cent in the Northwest Territories.
“Overall, the rate of breaking and entering in 2024 was almost one third (32 per cent) lower than a decade ago and 75 per cent lower than its peak in 1998, the first year with comparable data,” they write.
Motor vehicle theft declines, meanwhile, reversed a three-year jump of 40 per cent from pandemic lows reported in 2020. They say most of the decrease from 2023 was attributable to declines in Ontario, which reported 18 per cent fewer crimes and Quebec, where motor vehicle theft dropped 27 per cent. Alberta and British Columbia also contributed to the figure, reporting nine and 12 per cent declines respectively during the year.
Police-reported cybercrimes
Police-reported cybercrimes (in general) declined nine per cent between 2023 and 2024. “However, with advances in technology and widespread access to the Internet, the incidence of cybercrimes had generally been increasing over time,” they note. “For example, despite the annual decrease, the rate of police-reported cybercrime in 2024 (225 incidents per 100,000 population) was over twice the rate in 2018 (92 incidents), the earliest year with comparable data.”
