"Police-reported crime in Canada, as measured by the Crime Severity Index (CSI), increased 5 percent in the year prior to the pandemic - from 75.6 in 2018 to 79.5 in 2019. This is the fifth consecutive annual increase in the CSI," the report said on Thursday.
Both violent and non-violent crime has seen an upward climb in the past five years, the statistics agency said.
Overall, Canadian law enforcement agencies recorded over 2.2 million offences of the Criminal Code of Canada, up 164,748 compared to 2018, according to the report.
The increase was led by a rise in child pornography and uttering threats offences. In addition, the number of homicides increased by 2 percent year-over-year.
The statistics agency did note that the 2019 index was 9 percent lower than a decade ago. Out of Canada’s ten provinces, only Quebec saw a decrease in crime.
