Young people charged with murder increases, despite overall decline in homicide rates: StatCan

72 youths were charged with homicide last year, up from 65 in 2023. Among those cases, 13 incidents involved multiple youths being charged.

More youth under 18 in Canada were charged with homicide in 2024 than the previous year, according to new figures from Statistics Canada — an unexpected rise that comes even as national homicide rates edged downward.

The 2024 homicide report shows 72 youths were charged with homicide last year, up from 65 in 2023. That pushes the youth accused of murder to 0.94 per 100,000 youths.

Among those cases, police recorded 13 incidents involving multiple youth accused, including five homicides with three or more youth charged.

Overall homicide rate declines, risk still high for some groups

Across Canada, police reported 788 homicides in 2024, eight fewer than the previous year. The national homicide rate fell 1.91 per 100,000 people, a 4.0 per cent drop from 2023.

Still, StatCan suggests the decline masks persistent risks for certain communities, as Indigenous People remained disproportionately impacted. In 2024, they accounted for 30 per cent of all homicide victims, despite representing only five per cent of the population.

The murder rate for Indigenous People stood at 10.84 per 100,000, more than eight times the rate among non-Indigenous Canadians.

In 2024, about 17 per cent of victims in Canada - roughly 100 people - were killed by a spouse or intimate partner. That marks a substantial increase from 2023, when 72 victims were the result of intimate-partner homicide.

The increase was widespread: Eight of Canada’s ten provinces reported more victims of intimate partner homicide in 2024 than the year before.

Consistent with a long-standing pattern, the vast majority of those murdered were women, as they accounted for 81 per cent of intimate-partner homicide victims in 2024.

Breaking it down further, the number of women killed by a current or former spouse, common-law partner or dating partner rose sharply from 53 in 2023 to 81 in 2024.

Homicide rate by province

Canada’s 2024 homicide rates showed sharp geographic contrasts with some provinces seeing meaningful declines while others experienced significant spikes.

Four provinces recorded lower homicide rates in 2024, led by Newfoundland and Labrador, which saw a 51 per cent drop. B.C. followed with a 27 per cent decrease while Alberta and Quebec posted more modest declines of 20 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively.

Increases in the remaining six provinces reshaped the national picture, most notably in New Brunswick, where the homicide rate nearly doubled — from 1.08 to 2.11 per 100,000 — as the number of victims rose from nine in 2023 to 18 in 2024.

Half of those victims died by shooting, doubling the firearm-related homicides recorded the year before.

Prince Edward Island also saw its rate nearly double, although that is due to there being one homicide in 2023 and two in 2024.

Nova Scotia experienced one of the most substantial jumps in the country, climbing from 1.33 to 2.32 per 100,000, as homicides rose from 14 to 25.

The province saw a notable increase in drug-trade related killings, with seven in 2024 compared with two the previous year, and for the first time in four years, it recorded three separate incidents involving multiple victims.

Further west, Manitoba’s homicide rate climbed by 22 per cent and Saskatchewan by seven per cent, while Ontario held steady at 1.75 per 100,000.

According to the Regina Police Service (RPS), homicides are up in 2025 compared to last year in the city. From January to October, overall crime has decreased by 15.8 per cent compared to the same period in 2024, their review found spanning January to October.