Ottawa: Canada’s Indigenous populations remain disproportionately affected by homicide, according to Statistics Canada. In 2023, Indigenous individuals accounted for just over 25% of homicide victims, despite making up only 5% of the total population. This trend mirrors data from 2022, where 27% of homicide victims were Indigenous. The heightened risk is attributed to the enduring impacts of colonization, systemic discrimination, poverty, and historical trauma.
In total, there were 778 homicides reported across Canada in 2023, which is 104 fewer than in the previous year, leading to a 14% decrease in the national homicide rate, dropping from 2.27 to 1.94 per 100,000 people. For Indigenous communities, the homicide rate stands at 9.31 per 100,000, which is more than six times higher than that of non-Indigenous Canadians.