Canada recorded 121,033 breaking-and-entering incidents in 2024 — a rate of 293 per 100,000 people, down 11% from 2023 and down about a third over the decade (Statistics Canada, reference year 2024). Break-ins are falling, but they remain the single heaviest property crime in the national Crime Severity Index — and fewer than one in five is ever cleared by police.
How many break-ins happen in Canada per year?
121,033 police-reported breaking-and-entering incidents in 2024 — about 331 per day. The rate of 293 per 100,000 population is the lowest in the modern data series: 32% below 2019 and 75% below the 1998 peak.
| Year | Incidents | Rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 161,542 | 429.4 |
| 2020 | 138,067 | 363.1 |
| 2021 | 125,914 | 329.3 |
| 2022 | 133,311 | 342.4 |
| 2023 | 131,383 | 327.8 |
| 2024 | 121,033 | 293.1 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01 (incident-based crime statistics), accessed 09-Jul-2026.
Are break-ins going down everywhere?
Almost. In 2024 the breaking-and-entering rate fell in every province and in Yukon; the only increases were in the Northwest Territories (+17%) and Nunavut (+1%). The decline is national and sustained — but it is not evenly distributed between rural and urban communities, where overall property crime still runs 20% higher rurally (see our rural crime analysis).
How many break-ins are solved?
In 2024, 23,371 of 121,033 incidents were cleared — a 19.3% clearance rate, with 15.3% cleared by charge (computed from Table 35-10-0177-01). Put plainly: roughly four out of five break-ins are never solved. That asymmetry is why prevention and deterrence — visible systems, monitored response — do the heavy lifting that after-the-fact policing statistically cannot.
Four in five break-ins go unsolved. Deterrence is the game.
How serious is breaking and entering compared to other property crime?
By Statistics Canada’s severity weighting, breaking and entering is the most severe property crime and contributed 13% of the overall 2024 Crime Severity Index — the largest share of any single violation. Falling break-in rates are the main reason the national CSI declined 4% to 77.9 in 2024.
What the numbers mean for securing your home
Three takeaways survive contact with the data: the risk is real but shrinking, so panic-marketing that implies a break-in epidemic is misleading; police clearance is rare, so prevention beats response; and severity weighting confirms that when break-ins do happen, they are among the most consequential property crimes a household can face. A monitored system converts a break-in from an unsolved statistic into an interrupted attempt — start with our monitored systems guide or the full provider rankings.
Talk through what deterrence looks like for your home.
Frequently asked questions
How often does a break-in happen in Canada?
On 2024 numbers, about 331 police-reported breaking-and-entering incidents per day nationally (121,033 across the year). The rate has fallen 11% year-over-year.
Are home break-ins increasing in Canada?
No — the 2024 rate of 293 per 100,000 is down 11% from 2023, down about 32% from 2019, and 75% below the 1998 peak. Rates fell in every province in 2024.
What percentage of break-ins are solved in Canada?
About 19% were cleared in 2024, and only 15% cleared by charge (computed from Statistics Canada Table 35-10-0177-01) — roughly four in five break-ins are never solved.
Does Statistics Canada publish residential vs business break-in splits?
Not in current tables — the last published residential/business breakdown dates to 2002, which is why we do not cite one. Any site quoting a current “percentage of break-ins that are residential” is using outdated or invented data.
Sources
- Statistics Canada, The Daily — Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2024 (released 22-Jul-2025; accessed 09-Jul-2026)
- Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01, Incident-based crime statistics (accessed 09-Jul-2026)