Ottawa – Police reported 1,946 hate crimes in Canada in 2019, a 7% increase over the previous year.
Statistics Canada determines that apart from a peak of 2,073 hate crimes that arrived in 2017, the numbers reported to police in 2019 were the highest seen since 2009.
British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec contributed the most to the national increase.
Statistics Canada reported a significant 41% increase in the number of hate crimes targeting sexual orientation in 2019 compared to the previous year. Of these crimes, 88% targeted the gay and lesbian community.
In 2019, police reported 876 racially or ethnically motivated hate crimes, a 10% increase over 2018. This increase is mainly due to a 14% increase in hate crimes targeting blacks and 38% targeting Arabs and West Asia.
In contrast, hate crimes targeting indigenous people continued to represent a relatively low percentage of hate crimes reported by the police in 2019.
The number of cases targeting religion decreased due to a 20% decrease in the number of cases targeting the Jewish population, but a 9% increase in the number of cases targeting the Muslim population was observed, largely. Quebec.
It should be noted that from 2010 to 2019, 47% of violent hate crime victims targeting Muslims were female, compared to 32% of all hate crime victims.
Statistics Canada notes that hate crimes represent a small percentage of all crimes reported by the police.
Natalie Sinclair is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and issues that matter to their communities. Her work highlights timely developments, relevant stories, and practical insights in a professional and reader-friendly manner.