Police-Reported Family and Intimate Partner Violence Hit Record Highs in Canada in 2025
Statistics Canada data released on November 10, 2026, shows police-reported family violence and intimate partner violence reached their highest rates since 2009. While overall violent crime declined slightly, victimization rose across demographics, though related homicides fell to their lowest levels since 1974.
Police-reported family violence and intimate partner violence in Canada reached record highs in 2025, according to data released by Statistics Canada on November 10, 2026. There were 147,030 victims of family violence and 133,256 victims of intimate partner violence, translating to rates of 357 and 366 per 100,000 population, respectively. Both figures represent the highest rates since comparable data became available in 2009.
The increases occurred even as overall violent crime in Canada declined by 0.8% from 2024 to 2025. During that same period, the rate of police-reported family violence increased by 1.1%, while intimate partner violence rose by 1.9%. Women and girls remained disproportionately affected. In 2025, the rate of family violence among women and girls was 482 per 100,000, more than double the rate for men and boys at 232 per 100,000. For intimate partner violence among those aged 12 and older, the rate for women and girls was 566 per 100,000, more than three times the rate of 165 per 100,000 for men and boys. Overall, 78% of intimate partner violence victims aged 12 and older were women and girls.
Despite this disparity, victimization rates have been rising faster for men and boys over the longer term. Between 2018 and 2025, family violence victimization rates rose 25% for men and boys compared to 17% for women and girls. Intimate partner violence rates climbed 28% for men and boys versus 16% for women and girls during the same period.
Children, youth, and seniors also experienced higher rates of family violence. There were 27,256 child and youth victims in 2025, a rate of 362 per 100,000 population aged 17 and younger, marking a 2.8% increase from 2024. Among these young victims, 62% were victimized by a parent, 15% by a sibling, and 23% by another family member. For seniors, there were 8,173 victims of family violence, representing a rate of 102 per 100,000 population aged 65 and older and a 3.0% increase from the previous year. Senior victims were most often victimized by their child (35%), followed by a spouse (29%), other family members (25%), and siblings (10%).
In contrast to the rising rates of non-fatal violence, homicides related to family and intimate partner violence dropped significantly. There were 132 victims of family homicide in 2025, a 33% decline in rate compared to 2024, and 75 victims of intimate partner homicide, a 29% decline. Both rates are the lowest recorded since comparable data collection began in 1974. From 2015 to 2025, 58% of family homicide victims and 78% of intimate partner homicide victims were women and girls.
Regarding the nature of intimate partner violence incidents in 2025, 63% of victims were victimized by a current partner, 35% by a former partner, and 2.4% by another intimate partner. A weapon was present in 16% of incidents, compared to 23% for violent crime in general. A firearm was present in 1.1% of all intimate partner violence incidents. When no weapon was present, 82% of victims were involved in incidents where physical force was used. The rate of intimate partner violence peaked at age 30 for women and girls (1,188 per 100,000) and at age 39 for men and boys (322 per 100,000).
Significant regional disparities persist across the country. The northern regions of Canada recorded the highest rates, with 1,052 per 100,000 for family violence and 1,096 per 100,000 for intimate partner violence. Among the provinces, Saskatchewan and Manitoba recorded the highest rates for both categories. Ontario and British Columbia recorded the lowest rates for family violence, while British Columbia and Prince Edward Island recorded the lowest rates for intimate partner violence. Year-over-year changes varied widely: Nunavut saw the largest increases in both family violence (+16%) and intimate partner violence (+13%), whereas Manitoba recorded the largest provincial decline in family violence (-5%) and Yukon saw the largest decline in intimate partner violence (-12%).