Quebec Crime Report 2021
In 2021, Quebec experienced a significant transformation in its criminal landscape. Police-reported crime across the province rose sharply, with the Crime Severity Index climbing sharply compared to the previous year. Violent offences, which account for the most severe incidents tracked by Statistics Canada’s Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, saw an uptick, while property crime — including break and enter, motor vehicle theft, and fraud — followed a similar trajectory. Quebec ranked well below the national average, trailing the Canadian benchmark for overall crime severity. This report examines every major offence category, clearance rates, and multi-year trends to provide residents, researchers, and policymakers with the most complete picture of crime in Quebec.
Executive Summary
Crime Severity Index
56.8
↑ +9.7% YoY
#2 of 13
Total Crime Rate
3769.8
per 100k36.3% below national average
Violent Crime Rate
1230.5
per 100k↑ +12.8% YoY
Clearance Rate
42.2%
Crime Severity Index Analysis
The Crime Severity Index, developed by the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, goes beyond simple crime counts by weighting each offence according to the severity of sentences handed down by criminal courts. Unlike the traditional crime rate, which treats every incident equally, the CSI gives proportionally more weight to serious offences like homicide and sexual assault, providing a more accurate reflection of how crime impacts Quebec’s communities.
Overall CSI
56.8
↑ +9.7%Violent CSI
84.2
↑ +12.8%Non-violent CSI
46.3
↑ +6.7%National CSI: 74.9 · 24.1% below national average
5-Year CSI Trend
| Year | CSI | Violent | Non-violent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 57.9 | 72.8 | 52.3 |
| 2018 | 56.6 | 71.8 | 51.0 |
| 2019 | 55.9 | 75.3 | 48.8 |
| 2020 | 51.8 | 74.6 | 43.4 |
| 2021 | 56.8 | 84.2 | 46.3 |
Violent Crime Breakdown
Violent crime in Quebec encompasses offences against the person — from common assault to homicide — as reported to police services under the Criminal Code of Canada. In 2021, the violent crime rate stood at 1230.5 per one hundred thousand residents, below the national benchmark of 1331.1. Quebec’s homicide rate of 1.1 per one hundred thousand is moderate by national standards, while assault-related charges continue to represent the largest share of violent incidents.
| Offence | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|
| Homicide | 1.1 |
| Assault Level 1 | 448.7 |
| Assault Level 2 | 153.4 |
| Assault Level 3 | 4.0 |
| Sexual Assault | 90.0 |
| Robbery | 31.5 |
| Criminal Harassment | 90.3 |
| Uttering Threats | 228.7 |
Property Crime Breakdown
Property crime — including break and enter, motor vehicle theft, shoplifting, and fraud — represents the most frequently reported category of criminal activity in Quebec. In 2021, property offences occurred at a rate of 1618.2 per one hundred thousand, falling below Canada’s overall property crime rate of 3052.4. Motor vehicle theft and fraud have drawn particular attention from law enforcement across Quebec in recent years.
| Offence | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|
| Break & Enter | 191.5 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 160.0 |
| Theft Over $5K | 34.0 |
| Theft Under $5K | 522.1 |
| Fraud | 278.1 |
| Mischief | 264.8 |
| Arson | 23.3 |
| Shoplifting | 100.8 |
Other Criminal Code Offences
Beyond violent and property offences, Quebec tracks drug violations, impaired driving, and weapons-related crimes under the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. These offences, while often underreported, provide critical insight into public safety trends and policing priorities across the province.
| Offence | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|
| Drug Violations | 169.6 |
| Impaired Driving | 124.9 |
| Weapons Offences | 20.4 |
Clearance Rates
Clearance rates measure how effectively police services resolve reported incidents. A case is “cleared by charge” when police lay or recommend criminal charges, and “cleared otherwise” when the case is resolved through alternative means — such as diversion programs, departmental discretion, the death of the accused, or diplomatic immunity. In Quebec, the overall clearance rate provides insight into the capacity and effectiveness of provincial policing.
Total Cleared
152,385
47.2%
Cleared by Charge
121,270
79.6%
Cleared Otherwise
31,115
20.4%
5-Year Trend Analysis
Understanding crime trends over multiple years is essential for distinguishing short-term fluctuations from lasting shifts. The table below tracks Quebec’s Crime Severity Index, total crime rate, violent crime rate, and property crime rate from 2017 through 2021, offering policymakers, researchers, and residents a multi-year perspective on public safety in the province.
| Year | CSI | Total Rate | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 57.9 | 4334.5 | 1064.7 | 1867.0 |
| 2018 | 56.6 | 4172.2 | 1076.8 | 1774.7 |
| 2019 | 55.9 | 4074.6 | 1130.0 | 1720.6 |
| 2020 | 51.8 | 3607.1 | 1120.7 | 1558.8 |
| 2021 | 56.8 | 3769.8 | 1230.5 | 1618.2 |
🇨🇦 How Quebec Compares to Canada
Comparing Quebec’s crime metrics to the national average provides essential context for understanding whether the province’s public safety challenges are local or reflect broader Canadian trends. Quebec’s overall Crime Severity Index of 56.8 is below the Canadian average of 74.9, suggesting that the province experiences less severe crime relative to the rest of the country.
Crime Severity Index
Quebec
56.8
Canada
74.9
Total Crime Rate
Quebec
3769.8
Canada
5921.3
per 100k
▼ 36.3% below national averageViolent Crime Rate
Quebec
1230.5
Canada
1331.1
per 100k
▼ 7.6% below national averageMethodology
All data presented in this report is sourced from Statistics Canada's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey, which collects police-reported crime statistics from all police services across Canada.
The Crime Severity Index (CSI) measures the overall severity of crime by assigning weights to each offence based on sentences handed down by courts. A higher CSI indicates more severe crime relative to the base year (2006 = 100).
Crime rates are expressed per 100,000 population to allow fair comparison between jurisdictions of different sizes. Population estimates come from Statistics Canada's census and intercensal programs.
Clearance rates represent the percentage of incidents cleared by police, either through laying a charge ("cleared by charge") or by other means such as departmental discretion, diversion programs, or the death of the accused ("cleared otherwise"). Data coverage and completeness may vary slightly by jurisdiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Quebec's crime rate in 2021?
In 2021, Quebec recorded a total crime rate of approximately 3769.8 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. Quebec’s crime rate positions it below the national average, making it one of the safer jurisdictions in Canada by volume of reported incidents. 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 Quebec safer than the national average?
Yes. Quebec’s Crime Severity Index of 56.8 is below the national average of 74.9, indicating that the province experiences relatively lower crime severity when each offence is weighted by the seriousness of court-imposed sentences. This means that not only is the volume of crime comparatively lower, but the types of offences reported tend to be less severe than the Canadian norm. Among all 13 provinces and territories tracked, Quebec ranks #2 for overall safety. It is worth noting that crime severity can vary significantly between urban centres and rural communities within Quebec, so provincial averages may not reflect conditions in every municipality. Residents seeking neighbourhood-level data should consult local police service annual reports alongside this provincial overview.
What are the most common crimes in Quebec?
The three most frequently reported offences by rate per one hundred thousand population in Quebec are Theft Under $5K, Assault Level 1, Fraud, based on police-reported incidents for 2021. 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 Quebec's Crime Severity Index compare?
Quebec’s Crime Severity Index stands at 56.8, ranking #2 out of 13 provinces and territories, while the national CSI is 74.9. 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. Quebec’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 Quebec?
The Crime Severity Index in Quebec increased by 9.7 per cent compared to the previous year, indicating a rise in the overall severity of police-reported crime. This year-over-year increase may reflect a genuine uptick in more serious offences, changes in police reporting practices, or shifts in population that affect per-capita calculations. It is important to distinguish between crime volume and crime severity: even if the total number of incidents remains stable, an increase in high-severity offences such as homicide, sexual assault, or robbery can push the CSI upward. Researchers and policymakers should examine the violent and non-violent CSI sub-indices separately to identify which offence categories are driving the change. Long-term trend analysis over five or more years provides a more reliable picture than single-year fluctuations.