According to the Crime Severity Index (CSI)

According to the Crime Severity Index (CSI) | Canada's Safest Cities

Michael Zimmer Published:
August 28, 2024

The Crime Severity Index (CSI) is a national database maintained by Statistics Canada to track the severity of crime nationwide. Unlike a typical crime rate, the CSI uses police data to examine the severity of each crime, providing a more comprehensive picture of crime levels. Scores are standardized to "100" (equivalent to the Consumer Price Index) using 2006 as the base year. More significant crimes are given higher weights, impacting the overall index score, while less serious crimes are weighted lower.

Newcomers to Canada can use the Crime Severity Index (CSI) to help them choose where to live, but they should also consider traditional crime rates, community safety, demographics, economics, employment, income, and housing conditions for a comprehensive analysis.

The CSI's safest cities/areas in Canada

Averaged from 2019-2023, these cities have the lowest reported crime rates:

Overall CSI Score: 45.73, Quebec City.
Overall CSI Score: 47.71, Barrie, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario, CSI Overall: 51.54.
CSI Ottawa-Gatineau, All Parts Score: 55.59.
Overall Hamilton CSI Score: 57.74.
St. Catherine's, Niagara, Ontario, CSI: 58.94.
Overall CSI Score: 59.98, Montréal, Quebec.
Overall CSI Score: 66.92, Halifax.
Kingston, Ontario, CSI Score: 70.92.
St. John’s, N.L., Overall CSI Score: 72.92.
London, Ontario: 73.71 CSI.
Overall CSI Score: 75.40, Victoria, BC.
K-C-W, Ontario, Overall CSI Score: 75.94.
Brantford, Ontario, CSI Score: 77.09.
Calgary, CSI Overall Score: 79.79.
Overall CSI Score: 90.74, Vancouver, BC.
Edmonton, total CSI Score: 105.16.
Regina, Saskatchewan General CSI Score: 113.18.
The Saskatoon CSI Score is 114.85.
Overall CSI Score: 120.51, Kelowna, BC.
Overall CSI, Winnipeg, Manitoba Score: 125.82.

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The following data is available for provinces without Census Metropolitan Areas CMAs CSI:

The overall CSI score for Prince Edward Island is 62.59.
The overall CSI score for New Brunswick is 84.94.
The overall CSI score for Yukon is 215.87.
The CSI score for Nunavut is 390.66 overall.
Northwest Territories' overall CSI score is 427.88.

How is the CSI calculated?

The Crime Severity Index (CSI) measures crime severity in Canada annually. Each crime is assigned a weight based on its seriousness, determined by actual punishments given by judges across provinces and territories. More serious crimes receive higher weights, meaning they have a greater impact on the index, while less serious offenses receive lower weights.

The Crime Severity Index (CSI) is divided into two categories: Violent Crime Severity Index and Non-Violent Crime Severity Index. The Violent Crime Severity Index includes violent offenses like threats and forced detention, while the Non-Violent Crime Severity Index includes nonviolent violations such as traffic offenses and drug crimes.

Note: The Crime Severity Index (CSI) focuses on crimes in Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in Canada, which are established by surrounding municipalities around a core population center. A CMA must have a population of at least 100,000, with at least 50,000 living in the core.

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