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• Police-reported crime decreased in 2011, continuing the downward trend seen over the past 20 years. Police reported about 2 million Criminal Code offences in 2011, about 110,000 fewer than in 2010.  

• Both the crime rate, which measures the volume of crime reported to police, and the Crime Severity Index (CSI), which measures the severity of crime, dropped 6% in 2011. The drop in crime was seen in most parts of the country and for virtually all offences.

• As in past years, both the volume and severity of crime were found to be highest in the territories. Saskatchewan reported the highest CSI in 2011 among the provinces, followed by Manitoba, British Columbia and Alberta.

• Ontario had the lowest Crime Severity Index in the country, followed by New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Nova Scotia was the only eastern province whose CSI in 2011 was above the national Index.

• All of Canada's census metropolitan areas (CMAs) reported a decrease in their CSI values. Regina continued to report the highest CSI value among all CMAs, followed by Saskatoon, Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. The lowest CSI values were seen in Guelph, Québec, Toronto and Ottawa.

• The violent crime rate and the violent Crime Severity Index also declined in 2011, both down 4%. The decrease in the violent CSI marks the fifth consecutive decline.  

• Declines were seen in most violent offences, including attempted murders, major assaults, sexual assaults and robberies, as well as most non-violent offences including break-ins and motor vehicle thefts. The only offences to show an increase in 2011 were homicide, sexual offences against children, criminal harassment, impaired driving and most drug offences.

• The homicide rate increased in 2011, up 7%. The largest increases were reported in Alberta (+39%) and Quebec (+24%). Conversely, Ontario's rate dropped 16% to its lowest point since the mid-1960s.

• Winnipeg reported the highest homicide rate among all census metropolitan areas (CMAs), followed by Halifax and Edmonton.

• Police-reported youth crime also dropped in 2011. Both the youth crime rate and the youth Crime Severity Index decreased 10%. The rate of youth accused of some of the most serious violent offences also dropped: homicide (-16%), major assault (-4%) and robbery (-4%).