Sexual Assault Statistics Canada: Province & City Rates (2025)

Police in Canada recorded 36,284 level 1 sexual assaults in 2025, a rate of 87.11 per 100,000 people. That is slightly lower than in 2024 (88.19) and below the 2022 peak (91.13), but still about 52% higher than in 2015 (57.32). Among the provinces, Manitoba had the highest rate (116.38) and Ontario the lowest (76.58). Most sexual assaults are never reported to police, so these numbers show only part of the picture.

The figures below are the latest police-reported data from Statistics Canada, for the year 2025, released in summer 2026. All rates are per 100,000 population, which lets us compare places of different sizes fairly.

Sexual assault in Canada statistics at a glance (2025)

• Level 1 sexual assaults: 36,284 incidents, 87.11 per 100,000 people.
• Change from 2024: the rate fell about 1.2%, from 88.19 to 87.11.
• Ten-year change: up about 52% in rate and 77% in incidents since 2015 (20,466 incidents).
• Sexual violations against children: 13,576 incidents, 32.59 per 100,000, more than double the 2015 rate of 14.72.
• Share of violent crime: level 1 sexual assaults made up about 6% of the 601,139 violent Criminal Code incidents police recorded in 2025.
• Highest provincial rate: Manitoba, 116.38. Lowest: Ontario, 76.58.
• Highest metropolitan area: Lethbridge, 142.73. Lowest: Calgary, 48.89.

This article focuses on level 1 sexual assault, the most common category police record. Levels 2 and 3 (with a weapon, threats, bodily harm, or aggravated) are separate categories and are not included in the figures here.

Is sexual assault increasing in Canada?

Over 10 years, yes: the police-reported rate is much higher than it was in 2015. In the last three years, it has eased slightly. The table below shows level 1 sexual assault in Canada for every year from 2015 to 2025.

Police-reported level 1 sexual assault in Canada, 2015 to 2025 (rate per 100,000 people):

A few points stand out:

• 2017 to 2019: the rate rose from 58.35 in 2016 to 80.64 in 2019. The 2017 jump (up about 13%) came during a period of wide public discussion about sexual violence.
• 2020: the rate dropped to 74.01 during the first year of the pandemic, when daily life and contact with services changed sharply.
• 2021 to 2022: the rate climbed to 87.97 and then to a peak of 91.13.
• 2023 to 2025: the rate edged down each year, to 87.11. The number of incidents peaked in 2024 (36,389) and was nearly the same in 2025.

A rise in police-reported sexual assault does not necessarily mean more assaults happened. It can also mean more survivors came forward, or that police changed how they record and classify cases. Because so few sexual assaults reach police, small changes in willingness to report can move these numbers a lot.

For context, Canada's overall police-reported crime rate barely changed over the same decade (5,934.2 per 100,000 in 2015 and 6,064.51 in 2025, up about 2%). The violent crime rate rose about 35%, from 1,070.26 to 1,443.25. Police-reported sexual assault grew faster than violent crime as a whole.

Which province has the highest sexual assault rate?

Among the 10 provinces, Manitoba had the highest level 1 sexual assault rate in 2025, at 116.38 per 100,000 (1,757 incidents), followed by Saskatchewan (109.63) and Quebec (101.44). The three territories had higher rates than any province.

Police-reported level 1 sexual assault by province and territory, 2025 (rate per 100,000 people, highest first):

Nunavut's rate of 590.49 is nearly seven times the national rate. The territories have small populations, so a few dozen incidents can shift the rate sharply from one year to the next. Higher rates in the North are also tied to long-standing gaps in housing, health care and services, and they say nothing about the individuals who live there.

New Brunswick saw the largest increase among the provinces (+15.1%), while Saskatchewan saw the largest drop (-8.0%).

Which province has the lowest sexual assault rate?

Ontario had the lowest rate in 2025, at 76.58 per 100,000. It also recorded the most incidents of any province (12,450) because it has the largest population. This is why we compare places by rate rather than by count. British Columbia (77.56) and Alberta (78.96) were close behind.

Which city has the highest sexual assault rate in Canada?

Among Canada's 40 census metropolitan areas (CMAs), Lethbridge had the highest level 1 sexual assault rate in 2025, at 142.73 per 100,000 (202 incidents). Thunder Bay (140.19) and Trois-Rivières (134.83) followed. A CMA covers a central city and its surrounding suburbs and towns, so these figures are not the same as numbers for a single police service.

Highest police-reported level 1 sexual assault rates by census metropolitan area, 2025 (rate per 100,000 people):

Many of the CMAs at the top of the list are mid-sized, with between about 100,000 and 250,000 people. In places this size, a few dozen extra reports can move the rate a lot. Lethbridge's rate rose 41.9% in one year and Moncton's 26.6%, while St. John's fell 19.1%. Look at several years before drawing conclusions about any one city.

Half of the 40 CMAs (20) had rates above the national rate of 87.11. The national rate also includes rural areas and smaller towns outside CMAs.

Which cities have the lowest sexual assault rates?

Calgary had the lowest level 1 sexual assault rate of any CMA in 2025, at 48.89 per 100,000, followed by Vancouver (55.61) and Toronto (61.46). Canada's largest metropolitan areas tend to have lower rates than mid-sized ones.

Lowest police-reported level 1 sexual assault rates by census metropolitan area, 2025 (rate per 100,000 people):

Other large CMAs: Montréal had a rate of 84.21 (3,913 incidents), Edmonton 86.88 (1,475) and Winnipeg 102.07 (945). Lethbridge's rate was nearly three times Calgary's.

Sexual violations against children

Separate from sexual assault, police record specific sexual offences against children, such as sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching and luring a child. In 2025, police recorded 13,576 sexual violations against children, a rate of 32.59 per 100,000. That is more than double the 2015 rate (14.72, with 5,256 incidents) and close to 2024 (32.93).

• Highest provincial rate: British Columbia, 50.06 (2,852 incidents). Nunavut (329.91), the Northwest Territories (132.75) and Yukon (53.85) were higher.
• Lowest provincial rate: Ontario, 16.05 (2,609 incidents).
• Highest CMA: Drummondville, 126.19 (146 incidents), followed by Chilliwack (83.77) and Abbotsford-Mission (65.87).
• Lowest CMA: Toronto, 7.72 (542 incidents), followed by Hamilton (10.83) and St. John's (12.79).

Differences between places can partly reflect how police classify incidents. An offence against a child may be recorded as a child-specific violation in one place and as sexual assault in another. Online offences and police investigative priorities can also affect these counts.

Why most sexual assaults are never reported to police

Police-reported numbers count only incidents that come to the attention of police. Statistics Canada's victimization surveys, which ask people directly about their experiences, consistently find that the large majority of sexual assaults are never reported to police. Sexual assault is among the least-reported crimes in Canada.

Survivors give many reasons for not reporting, including:

• The person who assaulted them is a partner, family member, friend or someone they know.
• Fear of not being believed, of blame, or of the person who harmed them.
• Shame, or wanting to keep the experience private.
• Feeling the incident was not "serious enough" or not sure it counted as a crime.
• Distrust of police or the court process, or worry about having to testify.
• Preferring to deal with it through counselling, family or community support instead.

This means a higher police-reported rate in one city or province does not prove more assaults happen there. It may also reflect more trust in police, better access to victim services, or local awareness campaigns that encourage people to come forward.

What the law says about sexual assault in Canada

Sexual assault is a crime under the Criminal Code. It covers any sexual touching without consent, not only rape. There are three levels:

• Level 1, sexual assault (section 271): when prosecuted by indictment, it can carry up to 10 years in prison, or up to 14 years if the victim is under 16. It can also be prosecuted as a less serious summary offence.
• Level 2, sexual assault with a weapon, threats to a third party, or causing bodily harm (section 272): up to 14 years in prison, with mandatory minimums in some situations.
• Level 3, aggravated sexual assault (section 273): when the victim is wounded, maimed, disfigured or their life is endangered; it can carry up to life in prison.

Section 273.1 defines consent as voluntary agreement to the sexual activity. Consent must be ongoing and can be withdrawn at any time. A person cannot consent if they are unconscious or incapable of consenting, and silence or submission is not consent.

There is no time limit for police to lay a charge when sexual assault is prosecuted as an indictable offence, so survivors may report years or decades later. Outcomes depend on the facts of each case; this is general information, not legal advice.

Where survivors can get help

You do not have to report to police to get support. Help is available whether the assault happened last night or many years ago.

• If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services.
• Hospital emergency departments can provide medical care. Many have specially trained sexual assault nurses who can treat injuries, offer medication to prevent pregnancy or infection, and in many places collect evidence that may be stored while you decide whether to go to police.
• Sexual assault centres and crisis lines operate in every province and territory. They offer confidential support, counselling and someone to go with you to the hospital, police or court.
• Victim services, run by provinces, police or community groups, can explain the justice process, help with safety planning and connect you to financial help where it is available.
• Campus and workplace supports: colleges, universities and many employers have sexual violence offices or policies.
• Indigenous-led and culturally specific services exist in many communities, including in the North.

If you decide to report, you can usually bring a support person, and you may ask about victim services when you first contact police.

About the data

All figures come from Statistics Canada's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey, table 35-10-0177, "Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations." The latest year is 2025, released in summer 2026. Rates are per 100,000 population.

• We used the violation "Sexual assault, level 1" and the grouping "Total sexual violations against children." Levels 2 and 3 sexual assault are not included.
• Figures count incidents reported to and recorded by police, not the number of victims or people charged.
• Metropolitan figures are for census metropolitan areas, which include a city and its suburbs. They differ from figures for any single police service.
• Year-over-year changes are changes in the rate. Small places and territories can swing a lot from one year to the next.
• Police-reported data leave out the many sexual assaults that are never reported to police.

You can look up sexual assault numbers for your own city, province or police service on statistics.crimecanada.ca.

People facing a sexual assault charge, and victims, can request a free, confidential first consultation through Crime Canada with an independent criminal lawyer at /free-consultation/.

Frequently asked questions

How many sexual assaults are reported in Canada each year?

Police in Canada recorded 36,284 level 1 sexual assaults in 2025, a rate of 87.11 per 100,000 people, according to the latest Statistics Canada data. That is slightly below 2024 (36,389 incidents, 88.19 per 100,000). These figures cover only incidents reported to police; most sexual assaults are never reported, so the true number is much higher.

Is sexual assault increasing in Canada?

Over 10 years, the police-reported rate rose about 52%, from 57.32 per 100,000 in 2015 to 87.11 in 2025. It peaked at 91.13 in 2022 and has edged down each year since. A higher police-reported rate can reflect more survivors coming forward, not only more assaults, because so few sexual assaults are reported to police.

Which province has the highest sexual assault rate in Canada?

Among the provinces, Manitoba had the highest level 1 sexual assault rate in 2025, at 116.38 per 100,000 (1,757 incidents), followed by Saskatchewan at 109.63 and Quebec at 101.44. The territories were higher still, led by Nunavut at 590.49. Ontario had the lowest provincial rate, at 76.58 per 100,000.

Which Canadian city has the highest sexual assault rate?

Among Canada's 40 census metropolitan areas, Lethbridge had the highest level 1 sexual assault rate in 2025, at 142.73 per 100,000 (202 incidents), followed by Thunder Bay at 140.19 and Trois-Rivières at 134.83. Calgary had the lowest rate, at 48.89. Mid-sized areas can swing a lot year to year; Lethbridge's rate rose 41.9% from 2024.

What percentage of sexual assaults are reported to police in Canada?

Only a small share. Statistics Canada's victimization surveys consistently find that the large majority of sexual assaults are never reported to police, making it one of the least-reported crimes. Common reasons include knowing the offender, fear of not being believed, and distrust of the justice process. Police-reported figures, such as the 36,284 incidents in 2025, therefore undercount the true total.

What is the penalty for sexual assault in Canada?

Level 1 sexual assault under section 271 of the Criminal Code can carry up to 10 years in prison when prosecuted by indictment, or up to 14 years if the victim is under 16. It can also be prosecuted as a summary offence. Sexual assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm can carry up to 14 years, and aggravated sexual assault up to life.