Drug Trafficking Statistics in Canada
Criminal Code — CDSA Section 5
Drug Trafficking in Canada: the numbers
Police-reported incidents, Statistics Canada table 35-10-0177, 2015 to 2025.
19,671
Incidents reported by police, 2025
47.2
Rate per 100,000 people
+19%
Change in rate since 2015
47%
Incidents cleared by a charge
Rate per 100,000 people, by year
Rate by province and territory, 2025
- 1.Northwest Territories1,893.4
- 2.Yukon416.3
- 3.Nunavut387.3
- 4.Newfoundland and Labrador126.0
- 5.Manitoba111.3
- 6.Saskatchewan102.4
- 7.Prince Edward Island77.7
- 8.New Brunswick65.0
- 9.British Columbia62.3
- 10.Alberta55.9
- 11.Nova Scotia54.3
- 12.Quebec33.3
- 13.Ontario25.1
Highest rates among metro areas, 2025
- 1.Lethbridge153.3
- 2.Red Deer130.0
- 3.Kelowna97.6
- 4.Moncton84.4
- 5.Nanaimo73.8
- 6.Thunder Bay72.7
- 7.Chilliwack70.1
- 8.Victoria59.5
- 9.Kamloops56.4
- 10.Greater Sudbury54.6
What the law says
Drug trafficking is selling, giving, administering, transporting, sending, delivering, or distributing a controlled substance — or offering to do any of these. Under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), trafficking applies to all schedules of controlled substances, with penalties varying by drug type.
Penalties
Classification
Straight indictable for Schedule I and II substances. Hybrid (Crown may proceed summarily or by indictment) for Schedule III, IV and V substances; Schedule IV summary maximum is 1 year.
Maximum Penalty
Schedule I (heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, meth): maximum life imprisonment. Schedule II (synthetic cannabinoids): maximum life imprisonment. (Illegal cannabis sale or distribution is now charged under the Cannabis Act, max 14 years.) Schedule III (psilocybin, LSD): max 10 years. Schedule IV (barbiturates, anabolic steroids): max 3 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many drug trafficking incidents are reported in Canada?
Police in Canada reported 19,671 incidents in 2025, a rate of 47.2 per 100,000 people (Statistics Canada).
Is drug trafficking going up in Canada?
Yes. The police-reported rate rose 19% from 2015 to 2025.
Which province has the highest drug trafficking rate?
Northwest Territories had the highest rate in 2025: 1,893.4 per 100,000 people.
How often does drug trafficking lead to charges?
In 2025, 47% of reported incidents were cleared by a charge, and 13,265 people were charged (12,968 adults, 297 youth).
Related Offences
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