New data from Statistics Canada shows Canada’s homicide rate dropped 14% in 2023, falling to 1.9 per 100,000 people — the lowest since 2019. Alberta recorded a slight decline, with 115 homicides reported, down from 119 in 2022.
The trends differ in the province’s biggest cities. Calgary’s homicide rate dropped by 22%, while Edmonton saw a 28% increase, reporting 48 homicides. Together, the two cities account for nearly two-thirds of Alberta’s cases.
StatsCan notes declines in gang-related and intimate partner homicides contributed to the national drop, but both remain significant issues. Indigenous and racialized people continue to be disproportionately affected, with Indigenous peoples facing a homicide rate six times higher than non-Indigenous Canadians.
