Firearm-Related Intimate Partner Violence Rates Rising in Canada: StatsCan

Statistics Canada Data Reveals Sharp Rise in Firearm-Related Intimate Partner Violence

Ottawa, Ontario – July 11, 2026 — New research from Statistics Canada paints a troubling picture of rising firearm-related intimate partner violence across the country, with rates climbing significantly over the past decade and a half.

What the Data Shows

Statistics Canada released its research on July 8, 2026, documenting 1,096 victims of police-reported firearm-related intimate partner violence in 2024 alone. The five-year average from 2020 to 2024 reached 3.1 victims per 100,000 people aged 12 and older, marking a clear increase from earlier periods. Shooting accounted for one in five intimate partner homicides between 2009 and 2024, ranking as the second most common cause after stabbing.

Public Safety Canada data confirms firearm-related incidents prove five times more likely to result in death than those without firearms. In 2024, authorities identified 923 people accused in these cases, with two-thirds holding a prior criminal offence record from the previous six years. These concrete figures underscore the scale of the issue for federal lawmakers considering amendments to the Firearms Act.

Who Is Affected

Women and girls aged 12 and older made up 85 percent of victims in the 2020 to 2024 period. The highest rates appeared among those aged 18 to 24. Dating partners accounted for 51 percent of accused individuals from 2020 to 2024, shifting from the 65 percent married or common-law share recorded between 2010 and 2014.

Of the 923 people accused in 2024, 36 percent had previously faced intimate partner violence accusations. Among fatal shootings, 44 percent involved accused individuals with a known police history of violence, compared with 60 percent in other intimate partner homicides. These patterns connect directly to RCMP and provincial police records used in risk assessments across Canada.

The Rural-Urban Divide

Rates of firearm-related intimate partner violence ran nearly three times higher outside major cities during 2020 to 2024, except in Regina where the rate exceeded rural averages. The territories and Prairie provinces recorded the highest provincial and territorial rates overall.

This geographic pattern carries implications for federal-provincial relations, as rural communities often rely on RCMP services while facing longer response times and different firearm ownership patterns. The data highlights how natural resource regions and remote areas experience elevated risks tied to gun access in domestic settings.

Current Policy Responses

In 2023, the federal government amended firearms laws to permit emergency prohibition orders, allowing judges to order removal of firearms for up to 30 days. The legislation also provides for automatic revocation of firearms licences when individuals fall under protection orders, though the necessary regulations have not yet taken effect.

Seven percent of intimate partner homicide victims killed by shooting were under protection orders at the time of death, compared with 14 percent of victims killed by other means. These figures from the Statistics Canada report point to gaps in enforcement that affect victims seeking protection through the court system.

Expert Analysis and Concerns

Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women's Support Services in Vancouver, stated that the most dangerous period occurs during or after separation when a firearm remains present. She noted that 44 percent of girls and women aged 15 and older in British Columbia will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime.

Suzanne Zaccour, director of legal affairs at the National Association of Women and the Law, observed that automatic revocation of firearms licences under protection orders offers potential protection, yet the federal government has not implemented the required regulations. Both experts emphasised how these delays leave victims exposed in provinces where handguns have now overtaken rifles and shotguns as the most common weapon in such incidents.

What Happens Next

Parliamentary committees are expected to review the Statistics Canada findings alongside Public Safety Canada data in the coming weeks. Advocates continue to press for swift regulatory action on licence revocation to align with the 2023 legislative changes.

The report's emphasis on prior criminal records among two-thirds of the 923 people accused in 2024 suggests opportunities for improved information sharing between police services and firearms licensing authorities. Federal officials have indicated further analysis of the 2020 to 2024 trends will inform upcoming public safety initiatives.

The Statistics Canada data released this week demonstrates that rising firearm-related intimate partner violence demands coordinated action across federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions to strengthen protection measures and reduce lethal outcomes for Canadian victims.