Incarceration Statistics

See also: Crime Statistics

Incarceration Statistics (Adults)

Average Daily Number of Persons in federal custody (serving 2 years or more sentences):

  • 2016/2017: 39,873


Adult Federal Inmates

Federal Incarceration [1]
Year 2017 to 2018 2016 to 2017 2015 to 2016 2014 to 2015 2013 to 2014 2012 to 2013 2011 to 2012 2010 to 2011 2009 to 2010
Actual-in count [1] 14,128.5 14,425.3 14,741.6 15,167.5 15,140.8 14,470.6 14,265.8 13,760.7 13,209.3
Incarceration rates per 100,000 47.65 49.29 51.02 53.00 53.63 52.01 52.06 50.85 49.51


Provincial Inmates

Provincial Incarceration [2]
Year 2017 to 2018 2016 to 2017 2015 to 2016 2014 to 2015 2013 to 2014 2012 to 2013 2011 to 2012 2010 to 2011 2009 to 2010
Total actual-in count 24,657.5 25,447.5 25,405.4 24,455.3 21,703.8 25,184.6 24,814.4 24,434.7 24,092.2
Sentenced, actual-in count 9,542.6 9,709.7 10,091.4 10,363.6 9,888.0 11,137.7 11,137.6 10,921.6 10,045.1
Remand, actual-in count 14,812.3 15,416.5 14,898.9 13,650.3 11,494.1 13,739.0 13,369.3 13,086.3 13,739.3
Remand as proportion
of total population
1.665 1.651 1.705 1.792 1.888 1.833 1.856 1.867 1.754
Incarceration rates per 100,000 83.16 86.96 87.93 85.46 86.48 90.53 90.56 90.29 90.29
Total community supervision[2] 94,904.0 93,134.7 94,949.4 90,271.6 95,680.3 108,944.1 112,118.7 115,446.7 113,303.2
Total conditional sentence orders 6,528.9 7,249.3 8,258.8 8,745.6 10,076.8 12,202.4 12,615.9 12,968.6 13,105.0
Probation rates per 100,000 adults 309.69 305.07 312.25 336.27 358.22
Provincial Incarceration [3]
Year 2008 to 2009 2007 to 2008 2006 to 2007 2005 to 2006 2004 to 2005 2003 to 2004 2002 to 2003 2001 to 2002 2000 to 2001 1999 to 2000
Total actual-in count
Sentenced, actual-in count
Remand, actual-in count
Remand as proportion
of total population
Incarceration rates per 100,000
Total community supervision[3]
Total conditional sentence orders 13,123.5 12,534.6 12,775.8 13,251.9 13,212.7 12,987.6
Probation rates per 100,000 adults

Adult Remand

Incarceration Statistics (Youth)

  • Canada 2015 to 2016:
    • average of 998 youth in any type of custody [4]
    • 5 / 10,000 (~0.05%) youth in any type of custody [5]

Youth Remand

  1. Actual-in counts include federal and provincial or territorial offenders in a federal facility and those temporarily detained in a federal facility. As of 2013/2014, federal offenders on temporary absences and those held for deportation or extraditions are counted in custody counts rather than in community counts. Comparisons to previous years should be made with caution.
  2. Total community supervision counts are the sum of probation, conditional sentences, and provincial parole.
  3. Total community supervision counts are the sum of probation, conditional sentences, and provincial parole.

By Demographics

Admissions to custody by Aboriginal identity [6] [7][8]
Year 2007 to 2008 2017 to 2018
Newfoundland 348 (ab.) vs 1,329 (non-ab.)
(21% ab. custody)
(~5% total pop)
405 (ab.) vs 1,526 (non-ab.)
(21% ab. custody)
(~3% total pop)
Prince Edward Island N/A
(~1% total pop)
32 (ab.) vs 641 (non-ab.)
7 (unknown)
(5% ab. custody)
(~2% total pop)
Nova Scotia 450 (ab.) vs 5,105 (non-ab.)
58 (unknown)
(8% ab. custody)
(~3% total pop)
266 (ab.) vs 4,306 (non-ab.)
240 (unknown)
(6% ab. custody)
(~6% total pop)
New Brunswick 445 vs 4,872
(8% ab. custody)
(~2% total pop)
553 vsd 4,933
90 (unknown)
(10% ab. custody)
(~4% total pop)
Quebec 1,255 vs 39,042
(3% ab. custody)
(~1% total pop)
2,308 vs 43,072
(5% ab. custody)
(~2% total pop)
Ontario 9,699 vs 94,885
(9% ab. custody)
(~2% total pop)
8,456 vs 60,734
(12% ab. custody)
(~3% total pop)
Manitoba 12,835 vs 6,931
(65% ab. custody)
(~16% total pop)
22,280 vs 7,511
(75% ab. custody)
(~18% total pop)
Saskatchewan 7,525 vs 1,887
(78% ab. custody)
(~15% total pop)
9,902 vs 3,052
350 (unknown)
(74% ab. custody)
(~16% total pop)
Alberta 14,398 vs 25,258
64 (unknown)
(36% ab. custody)
(~6% total pop)
17,614 vs 24,268
611 (unknown)
(41% ab. custody)
(~7% total pop)
British Columbia 4,819 vs 19,097
(20% ab. custody)
(~5% total pop)
8,420 vs 17,471
(32% ab. custody)
(~6% total pop)
TOTAL &mdash prov. inst. 53,733 vs 198,678
(21% ab. custody)
(~4% total pop)
72,392 vs 167,825
1,361 (unknown)
(30% ab. custody)
(~5% total pop)
TOTAL &mdash fed. inst. 1,740 vs 6,826
(20% ab. custody)
(~4% total pop)
2,109 vs 5,236
(29% ab. custody)
(~5% total pop)