Firearm Statistics: Updated Table

PART I: NATIONAL DATA

Table 10. Firearm Homicide, 1974-2004
Number, Rate (per 100,000 population) and Percentage of All Homicides [1]
YEAR All Homicides Rate Firearm Homicides Rate % of All Homicides
1974 600 2.63 283 1.24 47.2
1975 701 3.03 292 1.26 41.7
1976 668 2.85 258 1.10 38.6
1977 711 3.00 260 1.10 36.6
1978 661 2.76 250 1.04 37.8
1979 631 2.61 207 0.86 32.8
1980 593 2.42 195 0.80 32.9
1981 648 2.61 199 0.80 30.7
1982 668 2.66 248 0.99 37.1
1983 682 2.69 224 0.88 32.8
1984 667 2.60 228 0.89 34.2
1985 704 2.72 222 0.86 31.5
1986 569 2.18 175 0.67 30.8
1987 642 2.43 200 0.76 31.2
1988 575 2.15 169 0.63 29.4
1989 657 2.41 218 0.80 33.2
1990 660 2.38 196 0.71 29.7
1991 756 2.70 271 0.97 35.8
1992 732 2.58 247 0.87 33.7
1993 627 2.18 195 0.68 31.0
1994 596 2.05 196 0.68 32.9
1995 588 2.00 176 0.60 29.9
1996 633 2.13 212 0.71 33.3
1997 586 1.95 193 0.64 32.9
1998 555 1.83 151 0.50 27.2
1999 538 1.76 165 0.54 30.7
2000 542 1.76 183 0.60 33.8
2001 554 1.78 171 0.55 30.9
2002 582 1.86 152 0.49 26.1
2003 549 1.74 161 0.51 29.3
2004 622 1.95 172 0.54 27.7

SOURCE: Statistics Canada: Homicide Survey (unpublished tables)

[1] The data in this table are based on police reports. Another source of homicide data is the provincial death registrations as reported by coroners and doctors. Because coroners and doctors are normally more reluctant to classify a death as homicide than the police, the numbers for homicides in this table are, in most cases, higher than the numbers in Tables 18 and 19.