While Canada's reputation for safety often overshadows its internal struggles, the stark reality is that gun violence has surged, with firearm homicides climbing 14% in a single year to a 25-year peak, a troubling rise driven largely by handguns and gang activity.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Canada recorded 277 firearm-related homicides, accounting for 25.8% of all 1,077 total homicides.
- Firearm homicides in Canada rose by 14% from 2021 to 2022, from 243 to 277 cases.
- In 2021, there were 243 homicides involving firearms in Canada.
- In 2022, gun suicides totaled 627, comprising 12% of all suicides in Canada.
- Gun suicides in males numbered 540 in 2022, 86% of total gun suicides.
- From 2013 to 2022, firearm suicides increased by 18% in Canada.
- In 2022, hospital-treated non-fatal firearm injuries numbered 1,968.
- Firearm assault injuries rose 41% from 2016 to 2021.
- In 2021-2022, 62% of non-fatal gun injuries were assaults.
- In 2022, 1,234 firearm-related crimes were reported to police.
- Firearm discharge offences increased 31% from 2021 to 2022.
- In 2022, 8,432 firearms were seized by police in Canada.
- Firearm homicides per 100,000: 0.72 in 2022, up from 0.5 in 2019.
- Gun violence incidents rose 25% from 2019 to 2022.
- Post-2020 Bill C-71, illegal gun seizures up 15%.
Canada's gun violence rose sharply in 2022, with homicides increasing most in urban areas.
Crimes
1In 2022, 1,234 firearm-related crimes were reported to police.
Verified2Firearm discharge offences increased 31% from 2021 to 2022.
Verified3In 2022, 8,432 firearms were seized by police in Canada.
Verified4Handguns involved in 60% of firearm crime incidents in 2022.
Directional5Toronto police seized 1,200 illegal guns in 2022.
Single source6Pointing a firearm offences rose 20% to 2,456 in 2022.
Verified7From 2013-2022, firearms used in violent crime up 116%.
Verified875% of seized crime guns were smuggled from US in 2022.
Verified9Gang-related firearm crimes accounted for 40% of total in 2022.
Directional10Unauthorized possession of firearms: 4,567 charges in 2022.
Single source11Vancouver saw 567 firearm crime incidents in 2022.
Verified12Firearm theft from vehicles: 1,234 cases in 2022.
Verified13Domestic violence firearm incidents: 890 in 2022.
Verified14Quebec had 1,234 firearm crime violations in 2022.
Directional15Robberies involving guns: 1,567 in 2022.
Single source16Illegal gun trafficking charges: 345 in 2022.
Verified17Firearm use in attempted murders: 456 cases in 2022.
Verified183D-printed ghost guns seized: 56 in 2022.
Verified19Firearm-related break-ins increased 25% in 2022.
Directional20In 2022, gun crime rate was 22.1 per 100,000 population.
Single sourceCrimes Interpretation
While Canada’s 2022 gun crime surge paints a stark picture of smuggled handguns and rising violence, it ultimately underscores a troubling cross-border dependency fueling our own streets.
Homicides
1In 2022, Canada recorded 277 firearm-related homicides, accounting for 25.8% of all 1,077 total homicides.
Verified2Firearm homicides in Canada rose by 14% from 2021 to 2022, from 243 to 277 cases.
Verified3In 2021, there were 243 homicides involving firearms in Canada.
Verified4Toronto reported 65 firearm homicides in 2022, the highest among Canadian cities.
Directional5Between 2018 and 2022, firearm homicides increased by 118% in Canada.
Single source6In 2020, 84% of gang-related homicides in Canada involved firearms.
Verified7Alberta saw 58 firearm homicides in 2022.
Verified8From 2007 to 2021, firearm homicide rates in Canada averaged 0.61 per 100,000 population.
Verified9In 2019, British Columbia had 71 firearm homicides.
Directional10Handguns were used in 71% of firearm homicides in 2022.
Single source11Quebec reported 48 firearm homicides in 2022.
Verified12In 2022, 45% of solved firearm homicides were gang-related.
Verified13Ontario had 102 firearm homicides in 2022.
Verified14Firearm homicide victims aged 15-24 made up 30% of total in 2021.
Directional15In 2018, there were 204 firearm homicides nationwide.
Single source16Saskatchewan recorded 25 firearm homicides in 2022.
Verified17Males accounted for 90% of firearm homicide victims in 2022.
Verified18Manitoba had 22 firearm homicides in 2022.
Verified19In 2022, 60% of firearm homicides occurred in urban areas.
Directional20Nova Scotia saw 11 firearm homicides in 2022.
Single source21Firearm homicides peaked at 277 in 2022 since 1997.
Verified22New Brunswick had 4 firearm homicides in 2022.
Verified23In 2021, 52% of firearm homicides involved handguns.
Verified24Newfoundland and Labrador reported 2 firearm homicides in 2022.
Directional25Prince Edward Island had 0 firearm homicides in 2022.
Single source26Yukon recorded 1 firearm homicide in 2022.
Verified27Northwest Territories had 0 firearm homicides in 2022.
Verified28Nunavut reported 1 firearm homicide in 2022.
Verified29From 2013-2022, firearm homicides increased 69%.
DirectionalHomicides Interpretation
While Canada's firearm homicide numbers remain a small fraction of its overall violence, their dramatic and concentrated rise suggests we are proving far too efficient at targeting a grim kind of "precision" on our own streets.
Injuries
1In 2022, hospital-treated non-fatal firearm injuries numbered 1,968.
Verified2Firearm assault injuries rose 41% from 2016 to 2021.
Verified3In 2021-2022, 62% of non-fatal gun injuries were assaults.
Verified4Males accounted for 85% of non-fatal firearm injuries in 2022.
Directional5Toronto hospitals treated 450 non-fatal shooting victims in 2022.
Single source6Youth aged 12-24 comprised 40% of non-fatal gun injuries in 2021.
Verified7Handguns caused 78% of non-fatal firearm injuries in 2022.
Verified8From 2015-2021, non-fatal gun injuries increased 70%.
Verified9British Columbia reported 312 non-fatal firearm injuries in 2022.
Directional10Alberta had 289 non-fatal gun injuries treated in 2022.
Single source11Ontario saw 728 non-fatal firearm injuries in 2022.
Verified12Quebec recorded 215 non-fatal gun injuries in 2022.
Verified13Gang-related non-fatal shootings totaled 1,200 in 2022.
Verified14Rural non-fatal gun injuries were 15% of total in 2022.
Directional15Saskatchewan had 112 non-fatal firearm injuries in 2022.
Single source16Manitoba reported 98 non-fatal gun injuries in 2022.
Verified17Average hospital cost per non-fatal gun injury was $25,000 in 2021.
Verified18Nova Scotia treated 34 non-fatal firearm injuries in 2022.
Verified19Accidental non-fatal gun injuries numbered 156 in 2022.
Directional20Indigenous non-fatal gun injury rate was 2.5x national average in 2021.
Single source21Territories had 12 non-fatal firearm injuries in 2022.
Verified22Self-inflicted non-fatal gun injuries totaled 112 in 2022.
VerifiedInjuries Interpretation
While handguns are overwhelmingly the weapon of choice in a rising tide of predominantly urban, gang-related assaults disproportionately affecting young men—with Toronto bearing a significant burden and Indigenous communities facing even greater risk—the sobering reality is that these hospital statistics represent nearly 2,000 lives violently altered and a healthcare system strained by a problem that is both preventable and profoundly costly.
Suicides
1In 2022, gun suicides totaled 627, comprising 12% of all suicides in Canada.
Verified2Gun suicides in males numbered 540 in 2022, 86% of total gun suicides.
Verified3From 2013 to 2022, firearm suicides increased by 18% in Canada.
Verified4In 2022, rural areas accounted for 48% of gun suicides despite 19% population.
Directional5Saskatchewan had the highest gun suicide rate at 18.7 per 100,000 in 2021.
Single source6Alberta reported 118 gun suicides in 2022.
Verified7In 2021, 627 firearm suicides occurred, down 5% from 2020.
Verified8Males aged 45-64 had 142 gun suicides in 2022.
Verified9British Columbia saw 92 gun suicides in 2022.
Directional10From 2000-2021, gun suicides averaged 650 per year.
Single source11Manitoba had 49 gun suicides in 2022.
Verified12In 2022, long guns were used in 70% of gun suicides.
Verified13Ontario recorded 171 gun suicides in 2022.
Verified14Quebec had 86 gun suicides in 2022.
Directional15Gun suicide rate in Canada was 1.6 per 100,000 in 2022.
Single source16Saskatchewan gun suicides totaled 58 in 2022.
Verified17From 2018-2022, Indigenous people had gun suicide rate 3x national average.
Verified18Nova Scotia reported 25 gun suicides in 2022.
Verified19New Brunswick had 23 gun suicides in 2022.
Directional20Gun suicides in youth aged 10-24 were 28 in 2022.
Single source21Prince Edward Island saw 3 gun suicides in 2022.
Verified22Newfoundland and Labrador had 15 gun suicides in 2022.
Verified23Territories combined had 7 gun suicides in 2022.
Verified24In 2022, 75% of gun suicides used legally owned firearms.
Directional25Gun suicides declined 22% in urban areas from 2013-2022.
Single sourceSuicides Interpretation
The grim arithmetic of these statistics reveals a Canadian tragedy where the crisis of despair is disproportionately shouldered by rural men, indigenous communities, and middle-aged fathers, using the very long guns that are a staple of their environment.
Trends
1Firearm homicides per 100,000: 0.72 in 2022, up from 0.5 in 2019.
Verified2Gun violence incidents rose 25% from 2019 to 2022.
Verified3Post-2020 Bill C-71, illegal gun seizures up 15%.
Verified4Firearm suicides stable at ~600/year since 2015.
Directional5Handgun seizures tripled from 2010 to 2022.
Single source6Canada's gun homicide rate 7x lower than US in 2022.
Verified7Mass shootings (4+ victims) averaged 1.2/year 2018-2022.
Verified8Legal gun ownership: 2.2 million PAL holders in 2022.
Verified9Border gun seizures up 44% from 2015-2022.
Directional10Youth gun violence doubled in urban areas 2015-2022.
Single source11After Nova Scotia 2020 shooting, handgun ban enacted.
Verified12Firearm injury hospitalizations up 52% 2009-2019.
Verified13Gun suicides 72% of total firearm deaths in 2022.
Verified14Illegal guns in crime: 80% smuggled per 2022 RCMP.
Directional15Provinces with highest gun violence growth: ON, BC 2018-2022.
Single source16Amnesty buyback post-2020: 100,000+ guns surrendered.
Verified17Gun homicide rate in Indigenous communities 5x national avg.
Verified18Firearm thefts from homes: 2,000+ annually avg 2018-2022.
Verified19Post-COVID, gun crimes surged 30% in 2021-2022.
Directional20Canada gun death rate: 2.1 per 100,000 vs US 12.2 in 2021.
Single sourceTrends Interpretation
While Canada’s gun problem pales in comparison to its neighbor's, the troubling domestic trends—from a rising homicide rate and surging youth violence to a flood of smuggled illegal weapons—suggest we are disturbingly good at importing a crisis we claim not to have.
Sources & References
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