Voyeurism Statistics in Canada
Criminal Code — Section 162
Voyeurism in Canada: the numbers
Police-reported incidents, Statistics Canada table 35-10-0177, 2015 to 2025.
1,402
Incidents reported by police, 2025
3.4
Rate per 100,000 people
+50%
Change in rate since 2015
56%
Incidents cleared by a charge
Rate per 100,000 people, by year
Rate by province and territory, 2025
- 1.Nova Scotia4.4
- 2.Northwest Territories4.4
- 3.Quebec3.8
- 4.British Columbia3.7
- 5.Ontario3.4
- 6.Saskatchewan3.2
- 7.Alberta3.0
- 8.New Brunswick2.9
- 9.Prince Edward Island2.2
- 10.Manitoba1.3
- 11.Newfoundland and Labrador0.9
- 12.Yukon0.0
- 13.Nunavut0.0
Highest rates among metro areas, 2025
- 1.Lethbridge7.8
- 2.Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo7.0
- 3.Belleville-Quinte West6.4
- 4.Nanaimo6.2
- 5.Peterborough6.1
- 6.Drummondville6.1
- 7.St. Catharines-Niagara5.6
- 8.Saguenay5.1
- 9.Brantford5.1
- 10.Québec5.0
What the law says
Voyeurism is committed when a person surreptitiously observes or makes a visual recording of another person in circumstances where the victim has a reasonable expectation of privacy — specifically where the person is in a place where they could reasonably be expected to be nude or engaged in sexual activity, where the person is nude or engaged in explicit sexual activity and is observed or recorded for that purpose, or where the observation or recording is done for a sexual purpose. The offence was introduced in 2005 to address the growing problem of hidden cameras and covert recording technology used to invade sexual privacy.
Penalties
Classification
Hybrid offence — can be prosecuted as summary or indictable.
Maximum Penalty
Maximum 5 years imprisonment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many voyeurism incidents are reported in Canada?
Police in Canada reported 1,402 incidents in 2025, a rate of 3.4 per 100,000 people (Statistics Canada).
Is voyeurism going up in Canada?
Yes. The police-reported rate rose 50% from 2015 to 2025.
Which province has the highest voyeurism rate?
Nova Scotia had the highest rate in 2025: 4.4 per 100,000 people.
How often does voyeurism lead to charges?
In 2025, 56% of reported incidents were cleared by a charge, and 465 people were charged (400 adults, 65 youth).
Related Offences
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