Hate crimes were cut by half in Toronto in 2025 when compared to the year prior, according to a Thursday Toronto Police Service report, but Jews remained the most frequent targets of all hate-motivated crimes.
Antisemitic crimes represented 35% of all hate crimes, and 82% of all religiously motivated hate crimes.
A 2021 Statistics Canada population census found that Jews represented 3.6% of Toronto’s population, but of the 231 hate crimes in 2025, the city’s Jews were the target of 81.
This was a decrease in the total anti-Jewish crimes and in the share of total hate crimes, with 177 incidents in 2024, representing 40% of all hate crimes.
The percentage of religiously motivated crimes in Toronto in 2025 that targeted Jews rose slightly from 80% to 82%. Religiously motivated crimes had decreased in general by 49% from 2024 to 2025.
Most of the anti-Jewish incidents were “mischief” related, with 72 incidents, or 88%, involving property damage or vandalism.
Police chief calls out rise in hate crimes
“The harm caused by hate continues to be very concerning, particularly for communities that continue to be targeted most frequently,” said Chief of Police Myron Demkiw.
“The data shows that Jewish, Black, and 2SLGBTQI+ communities remain most impacted, year after year. We are steadfast in our commitment to confronting hate in all its forms and making it easier for people to come forward and report incidents of hate. In the last two years, we have strengthened our Hate Crime Unit and established the Counter-Terrorism Security Unit, which now encompasses the Hate Crime Unit, because we recognize the importance of addressing violent extremism early, in order to prevent harm.”
While hate crimes had decreased in 2025, TPS said on Thursday that so far, 2026 had seen a 40% increase in reported hate crimes when compared to the same time last year.