Montreal homicides decreased by 21% last year

Montreal saw a 21% decrease in the number of homicides in 2023, according to Statistics Canada. Montreal is also among the Canadian cities with the lowest homicide rates, at 1.19 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. The city with the highest homicide rate is Thunder Bay, ON, at 5.34.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante shared the news about the city’s homicide statistics, saying, “Our Montreal model of public safety is bearing fruit.”

Montréal a enregistré une baisse de 21 % du nombre d’homicides en 2023. Montréal figure aussi parmi les grandes villes affichant le plus faible taux d’homicides au Canada.

Notre modèle montréalais de sécurité publique porte fruit. Bravo au @SPVM ! https://t.co/HeOl81dmXT
— Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) December 12, 2024

There were 31 murders in Montreal last year, and 42 in 2022

Overall, the province of Quebec saw homicide levels reduce to numbers not seen since the 1960s. Across Canada, homicides have also gone down, for the first time in a decade.

While homicides in Montreal decreased in 2023 — there were 31 murders last year, and 42 in 2022 — rates of assaults, hate crimes and property crimes (such as car thefts) rose over the same period.

As of Oct. 31, 2024, there have been 32 homicides in the city this year.

For our latest in news, please visit the News section.