Nunavut Crime Report 2022

National CSI: 78.8 · 387.7% above national average

5-Year CSI Trend

What is Nunavut's crime rate in 2022?

In 2022, Nunavut recorded a total crime rate of approximately 53083.5 incidents per one hundred thousand population, based on police-reported data compiled through Statistics Canada’s Uniform Crime Reporting Survey. This figure encompasses all Criminal Code violations — including violent crime, property crime, and other federal statute offences — that were reported to and substantiated by police services across the province. Nunavut’s crime rate places it above the national average, indicating a higher volume of police-reported incidents relative to other Canadian jurisdictions. However, it is important to note that crime rates capture only offences reported to police; unreported crime and victimization survey data may paint a broader picture. For a more nuanced understanding of crime severity rather than just volume, the Crime Severity Index provides additional context.

Is Nunavut safer than the national average?

Nunavut’s Crime Severity Index of 384.1 is above the national average of 78.8, indicating that the province experiences higher-than-average crime severity when offences are weighted by the seriousness of court-imposed sentences. Nunavut ranks #12 out of 13 jurisdictions on the Crime Severity Index. This does not necessarily mean every community within the province is less safe; crime severity can vary dramatically between metropolitan areas and smaller municipalities. Factors such as population density, economic conditions, and policing capacity all influence regional crime patterns. For neighbourhood-level assessments, residents and researchers should supplement this data with reports from local police services.

What are the most common crimes in Nunavut?

The three most frequently reported offences by rate per one hundred thousand population in Nunavut are Mischief, Assault Level 1, Uttering Threats, based on police-reported incidents for 2022. These offence categories consistently rank among the highest-volume crimes across most Canadian provinces and territories, reflecting patterns that are largely driven by interpersonal disputes and opportunistic property offences. Assault Level 1 — the least severe category of physical assault under the Criminal Code — typically dominates the violent crime category, while property offences such as theft and mischief account for the bulk of reported incidents overall. The rates cited here are derived from Statistics Canada’s Uniform Crime Reporting Survey and represent only those incidents reported to and substantiated by police. Actual victimization rates, including unreported incidents, are likely higher across all categories.

How does Nunavut's Crime Severity Index compare?

Nunavut’s Crime Severity Index stands at 384.1, ranking #12 out of 13 provinces and territories, while the national CSI is 78.8. The Crime Severity Index was developed by Statistics Canada to address a key limitation of traditional crime rates: that a single count of theft carries the same statistical weight as a homicide. By weighting each offence based on average sentences handed down by criminal courts, the CSI provides a severity-adjusted view of the criminal landscape. A CSI above 100 indicates that a jurisdiction’s crime severity exceeds the 2006 national baseline, while a value below 100 suggests an improvement. Nunavut’s CSI should be interpreted alongside the violent and non-violent sub-indices, which reveal whether changes in overall severity are driven by serious person offences or by high-volume property and regulatory crimes.

Has crime gone up or down in Nunavut?

The Crime Severity Index in Nunavut decreased by 1.6 per cent compared to the previous year, indicating an improvement in the overall severity of police-reported crime. This decline may be attributable to reductions in high-severity offences, increased diversion and community-based justice programs, or demographic changes that shift per-capita calculations. While any year-over-year decrease is encouraging, it is important to assess whether the improvement is sustained over multiple years or represents a short-term fluctuation. The violent and non-violent CSI sub-indices can help determine whether declines are concentrated in serious person offences or in lower-severity property and regulatory crimes. A five-year trend analysis provides the most reliable perspective on whether Nunavut is becoming safer over time.