Canada’s latest safety rankings: What Indian students and immigrants should know
The list, highlighted by Immigration News Canada using Numbeo's latest Crime Index, ranks Quebec City as Canada's safest major city, followed by Burlington, Ottawa, Montreal and Guelph.
Canada ranks among the world’s safest nations, but crime rates still vary dramatically from city to city. (Photo: AI-Generated)
For thousands of Indian students and families planning to move to Canada, safety can matter just as much as university rankings or job opportunities. A new mid-2026 ranking based on Numbeo data identifies the country’s safest cities, and the results may surprise many newcomers.
The list, highlighted by Immigration News Canada using Numbeo’s latest Crime Index, ranks Quebec City as Canada’s safest major city, followed by Burlington, Ottawa, Montreal and Guelph. While the rankings are based on public perception rather than police data, they offer a useful snapshot of how residents view safety in different parts of the country.
Numbeo is a crowd-sourced database that measures residents’ perceptions of crime and safety. Its Crime Index is not the same as Canada’s official Crime Severity Index published by Statistics Canada.
Here are the 5 safest cities in Canada right now, based on the mid-2026 Numbeo dataset, along with what’s actually driving their strong safety scores.
Quebec City, Quebec
Quebec City holds the top spot by a wide margin, with a Crime Index of just 22.3, the lowest in Canada and among the lowest anywhere in North America. Quebec City has consistently ranked among Canada’s safest urban centres in recent Numbeo surveys, with residents reporting low levels of violent crime and strong perceptions of personal safety.
Story continues below this ad
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington comes in second with a Crime Index of 28.6. As a smaller city bordering Toronto’s broader metro region, Burlington benefits from strong municipal policing, higher average household incomes, and lower rates of the visible disorder that tends to drag down perception scores in bigger cities.
Canada’s capital ranks third at 30.9. Despite being a major urban centre, Ottawa maintains comparatively low crime perception thanks to steady government employment, a large public-sector presence, and consistent investment in community policing across its neighbourhoods.
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal follows closely at 33.0. As one of Canada’s largest cities, it has a relatively low score, reflecting active neighbourhood policing, strong public transit safety measures, and a dense, walkable urban layout that supports natural surveillance in busy areas.
Rounding out the top five, Guelph scores 33.8. Its strong safety profile is often linked to its size: large enough to offer opportunity, small enough to maintain close-knit community dynamics, and anchored by a stable local economy anchored by its university population.
For newcomers using these rankings to choose a city, the safest approach is to look at both perception data and official crime figures together, then dig into neighbourhood-level detail before deciding.
.
World · Canada · Diaspora
Canada's safest cities, mid-2026
Where Canadian cities rank on perceived safety — and what the numbers do, and don't, tell you.
22.3
Quebec City — lowest crime index
3
Ontario cities in the top 5
2
Quebec cities in the top 5
Lowest Numbeo crime index (mid-2026)
1
Quebec City
Quebec
22.3
Index
2
Burlington
Ontario
28.6
Index
3
Ottawa
Ontario
30.9
Index
4
Montreal
Quebec
33.0
Index
5
Guelph
Ontario
33.8
Index
Lower index = lower perceived crime. All five fall in Numbeo's “low” band (20–40).
#1Quebec City22.3
Quebec
Historic old town; consistently the lowest perceived crime in Canada.
#2Burlington28.6
Ontario
A Halton-region suburb; a fixture among Canada's safest since 2019.
#3Ottawa30.9
Ontario
The national capital; a large federal workforce and stable services.
#4Montreal33.0
Quebec
A major metro with a high police-per-resident ratio.
#5Guelph33.8
Ontario
Praised for a “small-town feel”; stable year on year.
Four of the top five sit in two provinces
3
Ontario
BurlingtonOttawaGuelph
2
Quebec
Quebec CityMontreal
Quebec takes the top spot; Ontario places the most cities in the top five.
✓ Police-reported data✓ Official government stats✓ Measures crime severity
These lists don't match. Numbeo measures how safe people feel; the official CSI measures reported crime and its severity. It's normal for the two to diverge — and CSI-based lists surface different cities (Barrie, Saguenay, Halton).
Numbeo updates continuously, so snapshots differ — some mid-2026 lists place Oakville in the top five and shift the order. Treat rankings as a starting point, and check official police data and neighbourhood-level information before deciding.
Choosing a city: what to weigh
◉
Universities & courses
★
Jobs & post-study work
⌂
Housing & rent
➤
Public transport
⛨︎
Safety
$
Cost of living
Safety is only one factor when choosing where to study or settle — weigh it alongside universities, jobs, housing and community.
Before you move: a checklist
✓Safety✓Rent✓University✓Jobs✓Healthcare✓Transport✓Weather✓Indian community
Not in the top five
TorontoVancouverCalgaryEdmonton
Canada's biggest cities don't top perception rankings — but citywide averages hide big neighbourhood variation. Toronto has streets that feel very safe and pockets that don't; the same is true of Vancouver. Use city rankings as a starting point, then research specific neighbourhoods.
Rankings and values are from one Numbeo mid-2026 snapshot (perception-based, crowdsourced); order and inclusion shift as the dataset updates, and differ from official Statistics Canada data.
Sources: Numbeo Crime Index (mid-2026) · Statistics Canada Crime Severity Index (for comparison).
The good news is that Canada’s overall trajectory remains strongly positive; the national Crime Severity Index is now 34% below its 1998 peak, meaning the country as a whole continues to get safer, even as individual cities face their own localised challenges.
Mashkoora Khan is a journalist and sub-editor on the global desk at The Indian Express. She actively covers issues around Canada visa, immigration policy, global affairs, and international developments.
A trained multimedia journalist, she focuses on producing clear, accurate, and reader-centric explainers on policy-driven subjects that directly affect cross-border mobility and global audiences.
Experience
Mashkoora has worked across digital newsrooms and independent media platforms, with bylines in national and international publications including Al Jazeera, Down to Earth, The Wire, and Maktoob. Her professional experience spans breaking news, policy explainers, live coverage, and multimedia reporting.
At The Indian Express, she is part of the global desk, where she contributes to daily international coverage and plays a role in editing and producing stories on foreign policy, immigration systems, and regulatory changes — particularly those related to Canada’s study, work, and permanent residence pathways.
Expertise
Her core areas of reporting include:
• Canada visa and immigration: Coverage of policy updates, eligibility changes, application processes, and government announcements, with an emphasis on factual explainers and verified information.
• Global affairs: Reporting on international politics, diplomacy, and geopolitical developments.
• Migration and human impact: Stories that examine how policy decisions affect individuals, families, and migrant communities.
Her work prioritises accuracy, sourcing, and context, helping readers navigate complex systems without speculation or exaggeration.
Authoritativeness and trustworthiness
Mashkoora's reporting is grounded in official data, government releases, and on-record sources, in line with The Indian Express’ editorial standards. Her articles aim to distinguish clearly between verified information and developing updates, making her coverage a reliable reference point for readers seeking clarity on international and immigration-related issues. ... Read More
Share
Canada ranks among the world’s safest nations, but crime rates still vary dramatically from city to city. (Photo: AI-Generated) 
