Stable Numbers: Hate Crimes in Canada Remain Steady in 2024 Despite Previous Increases
The number of police-reported hate crimes in Canada remained stable in 2024, following significant increases in previous years. Statistics Canada reported 4,882 hate crimes in 2024, representing a one per cent increase from the previous year. This comes after a substantial 34 per cent rise between 2022 and 2023 and a more than doubling of hate crimes since 2018. Incidents targeting race or ethnicity saw an eight per cent increase in 2024, while cases targeting sexual orientation decreased by 26 per cent. The number of hate crimes targeting religion remained relatively stable, following a significant 154 per cent increase between 2020 and 2023.
The Liberal government has introduced a new hate crimes bill that aims to create new Criminal Code offences and provide a legal definition of "hatred" for the first time. This legislative initiative comes in response to the persistent issue of hate crimes in Canada. The report by The Canadian Press on this matter was first published on March 30, 2026.
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