Has crime actually increased in Newfoundland and Labrador?

The severity of crime in Newfoundland and Labrador has increased steadily in recent years, according to data from Statistics Canada.

The province’s Crime Severity Index — a measure that tracks both the volume and seriousness of police-reported crime — rose from 69.6 in 2020 to 89.3 in 2024, marking a significant overall increase.

Increases can reflect not just more crime, but more severe incidents.

After dipping slightly in 2020, the index has climbed each year since, reaching 76.9 in 2021, 82.1 in 2022 and 87.7 in 2023 before rising again in 2024.

Non-violent crime has been a key driver of the increase. The non-violent crime rate rose from 65.0 in 2020 to 89.7 in 2024, showing consistent year-over-year growth.

Meanwhile, the violent index showed more fluctuation. It increased sharply between 2020 and 2021, remained relatively stable through 2022 and 2023, and then declined to 89.9 in 2024.

The data also show a decline in the weighted clearance rate — a measure of how many crimes are solved by police — which dropped from 29.1 in 2020 to 26.4 in 2024.

Across Canada, crime severity decreased slightly in 2024 following several years of increases, highlighting a different trend compared with Newfoundland and Labrador.