Is Canada Safe for Women? Crime Rate in Canada
Safety rating
Women living in Canada consider the safety level to be relatively high, with an overall safety rating of 4.3 out of 5.
Crime rating
Women living in Canada consider the crime rate to be relatively low, with an overall crime rating of 2.1 out of 5.
Violence rating
On average 13.6% percentage of women in Canada have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some time in their life, according to OECD Data.
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Crime & Safety Statistics
Based on 384 experiences
Safety rating: | 4.3/5 | Safe |
Safety walking alone after dark: | 3.9/5 | Safe |
Safety using public transport: | 4.2/5 | Safe |
Crime rate: | 2.1/5 | Low |
Worries of being sexually harassed: | 1.8/5 | A bit worried |
Worries of being sexually assaulted or raped: | 1.5/5 | Not at all worried |
Worries of being physically attacked: | 1.7/5 | A bit worried |
Worries of home broken and things stolen: | 1.5/5 | Not at all worried |
Worries of being mugged or robbed: | 1.4/5 | Not at all worried |
Worries of being kidnapped or murdered: | 1.3/5 | Not at all worried |
How safe is Canada?
Pauline
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is safe for the most part. But we avoid the downtown area at night. Crime rates are high but I personally have not seen anything brutal or intense. The residential areas are safe, but I wouldn’t go walking at night
Posted: March 31, 2025Montreal
Very safe city for women but, as like any other big city, be careful in bars and night walking (lonely places). Also, check nowadays the public transportation website, in case you feel unsafe and want to report an incident.
Posted: March 27, 2025Vancouver
Vancouver is safe. There are some pockets of the city (Downtown Eastside) that have a significant homeless population who suffer from substance abuse and opioid addiction. However the city is quite safe.
Posted: March 23, 2025
Paige
Calgary
Have always felt very safe here everywhere I’ve gone. I run lots throughout the city and even at night I haven’t been worried about others. There are some very safe neighbourhoods and as a young woman I’ve never had a bad experience here.
Posted: March 22, 2025
Kelis
Edmonton
Edmonton is relatively safe depending on the area you are in. It’s important to take precautions when travelling alone anywhere but I definitely don’t go out fearing for my life. It’s just important to be aware of your surroundings. I wouldn’t walk alone at night but I wouldn’t really do that anywhere else anyway.
Posted: March 21, 2025Montreal
It’s really safe for women!! Just avoid certain neighborhoods during the night but except that if you remain where the crowd is there is not major risks, Montreal is an active city and there are always people outside no matter what time of the day it is
Posted: March 19, 2025
Olivia
Edmonton
It's good to exercise caution in downtown Edmonton, and in any of the malls. Overall if you are in a group it's a lot safer. But be carefully at night as there is a lot of homeless and drunk people on the streets.
Posted: March 18, 2025Montreal
It depends on neighborhoods/streets, but generally safe. If you are on the plateau/mile end, where there’s a lot of nightlife, I’d say it’s very safe, and life is still bustling late in the night so walking home at 1 or 2 am doesn’t feel that sketchy; there’s still loads of young people out and about. Between 3 and 5 is when I’d be more careful, as most clubs close at 3, so the only people out are those who stayed until closing, so there are fewer but drunker people out. Richer neighborhoods such as Outremont, Westmount, should also be very safe. Rosemont is safe, mostly young families/people settling down. Hochelaga used to have a bad reputation, but it’s getting gentrified so honestly not that bad anymore. Downtown and the Village can be a little dicier, again depending on which streets — avoid walking alone on st Catherine during the night, that’s where there’s sketchier people, druggies, etc. (Although there’s some nice gay clubs, and I’ve definitely walked on st Catherine and been fine; but it depends on level of comfort/confidence, and how long you have to walk on it. It’s a long street and some parts are better/worse than others. Walk on parallel street if you can) Downtown itself, generally fine, again st Catherine can be a bit dodgy, and square Cabot usually has a lot of homeless drunks so can feel a bit sketchier. Vieux port is generally safe. The metro is usually decently busy pretty late between the stops where there is night life so it doesn’t feel unsafe; if you are going to stations a bit at the edges of the line, you night be alone or with very few people on it; never had a problem. In general, I’ve felt pretty safe and haven’t had a bad experience in Montreal, even walking or biking alone at night to get home. That being said, look like you know where you’re going. Montreal nord is known as being sketchier, but it’s probably not where you’d want to visit anyways.
Posted: March 18, 2025Drumheller
This town is fairly safe! There have been a couple of incidents of a homeless man throwing items at cars. Nightlife is fairly safe, there has been an issue with men harassing women in bar bathrooms, so I suggest having a buddy come with you. I feel safe walking at night as long as I have a friend with me.
Posted: March 16, 2025
Dajnae
Montreal
It feels really safe overall! Some areas are a little sketchy, but nothing too bad! Just avoid the berri-uqam area at night. Everywhere else is fine to walk alone at night, just take usual precautions!
Posted: March 16, 2025Is Canada worth visiting?
Travel rating
based on 92 experiences from female travelers
Nova Scotia, Solo travel
I was in Nova Scotia for half an year as an international student. I lived with a really great host family. The locals are really friendly and open to meet new people, I mostly felt safe with them. The food was really nice, I recommend trying poutine, it's a bit weird at the beginning but interesting to try. The landscapes are interesting especially the coastline and I would recommend to go see some lighthouses since there are quite a lot of them.
Posted: March 17, 2025Canada, Solo travel
Canada was by far the most beautiful country I ever visited. I stayed in BC, and it is the perfect place to combine city trips with beautiful hikes. If you get the chance, you should definitely visit Vancouver Island!
Posted: March 16, 2025Experienced: December, 2021Meet locals in Canada
Marlene
About Me
My name is Marlene. I am a well-rounded individual who loves music, travelling, fashion, good food and immersing in different cultures.
Speaking
Vivian
About Me
My three kids are mostly grown (15,17,19) and it's time for some adventures. My husband recently said to me that his ideal vacation would be to stay home for a week...and I want him to have that- but I like an adventure. I like to garden (mostly flowers now days) I do fundraisers for random things, and I ....Geez....this is actually a hard question. I suppose I'm figuring that out again. For a verrrry long time all I was about was my kids! I'm looking forward to helping my oldest move to Toronto this summer for an internship, flying to Dallas for the Vex World Competition with my son 🤞 and a four week trip to Japan with my 15 year old daughter.
Speaking
Safety in Canada
Montreal
Toronto
Vancouver
Quebec City
Canmore
Whistler
Winnipeg
Victoria
St. John's
Ottawa
Niagara Falls
Halifax
Edmonton
Charlottetown
Antigonish
Moncton
Frequently asked questions
Is Canada safe?
Is Canada safe to walk alone at night?
Is public transport safe in Canada?
What is the crime rate in Canada?
What is the risk of being sexually harassed in Canada?
What is the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped in Canada?
What is the risk of being physically attacked in Canada?
What is the risk of burglary in Canada?
What is the risk of being mugged or robbed in Canada?
What is the risk of being kidnapped or murdered in Canada?
