Latest news with #StatCan
Winnipeg Free Press
18 hours ago
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
Auto theft sees sharp drop in first half of 2025, industry association says
OTTAWA – The pace of auto theft is dropping in Canada thanks to collective efforts to crack down on thieves, says an industry group focused on insurance fraud and crime. Équité Association said in a report released Monday that the number of vehicles reported stolen nationally dropped 19.1 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Just over 23,000 vehicles were reported stolen in the first six months of the year in Canada, the report said. The decline is particularly stark in Ontario and Quebec, which saw annual drops of 25.9 per cent and 22.2 per cent, respectively. The year-over-year drops are more modest in Atlantic Canada and Western Canada at roughly nine per cent. Alberta saw a decline of 12.5 per cent. Bryan Gast, national vice-president of investigative services at Équité Association, credits greater public awareness of the threat and efforts by various levels of government and law enforcement agencies to collectively tackle the problem. 'It's really definitely a collaborative effort,' he said. Gast said law enforcement agencies in Ontario and Quebec in particular have stepped up enforcement with police units dedicated to vehicle theft. So far this year, residents of Ontario and Quebec have reported 9,600 and 3,889 vehicle thefts respectively — high numbers that Gast attributed to the provinces' larger populations and proximity to the Port of Montreal. With 4,411 vehicles reported stolen over the first half of 2025, Gast said Alberta continues to lead the country in auto theft on a per-capita basis. Statistics Canada data released earlier this week confirms national progress on the file. The agency reported a 17 per cent annual drop in the rate of police-reported motor vehicle thefts, down to 239 incidents per 100,000 people last year. In 2023, the number of auto thefts had increased 40 per cent over the historic low recorded in 2020, StatCan said. That trend came to a head last year when the federal government convened a summit in February to address car thefts. Ottawa followed up by giving the Canada Border Services Agency millions of dollars in new funding to track vehicles leaving through the country's ports, after having given Ontario $121 million in January of that year to tackle gang crime and auto thefts. Gast said some of the progress can likely be attributed to Canadians' heightened awareness of the issue. 'Now I think you can talk to anybody and, if their car hasn't been stolen, they know somebody's car that has been stolen,' he said. 'I think they are taking those precautions and some of those steps to make their vehicle less of a target.' Vehicle recovery rates also rose 3.4 percentage points year over year to 56.5 per cent in the first half of 2025, Équité Association said. The organization said that was nearing the 'pre-crisis' level of 57.2 per cent recorded in 2021. Despite progress on vehicle theft, the Insurance Bureau of Canada warned it's still a 'significant concern' and 'far from the only factor contributing to rising auto insurance costs.' 'A combination of inflation, tariffs, rising repair and vehicle replacement costs, legal pressures, and regulatory challenges are driving rates up across the country,' the bureau said in a media statement. Tariffs on vehicle parts are driving up the costs of repairs and replacement cars, the bureau noted. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Gast said that while it's not clear yet, tariffs might be playing a role in the increase Équité Association is seeing in domestic chop shops and vehicle parts being sent overseas. He said that whenever there's a disruption to supply chains — like the one that made semiconductor inputs a hot commodity during the COVID-19 pandemic — the criminal element tends to adapt to meet that demand. While he's encouraged by the progress Canada has posted to date in tamping down auto theft, he said now is not the time to let up. 'Don't consider the problem solved,' he said. 'To keep it manageable and the numbers trending in the right direction, I think we still need to focus on it.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
18 hours ago
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
Auto theft sees sharp drop in first half of 2025, industry association says
OTTAWA - The pace of auto theft is dropping in Canada thanks to collective efforts to crack down on thieves, says an industry group focused on insurance fraud and crime. Équité Association said in a report released Monday that the number of vehicles reported stolen nationally dropped 19.1 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Just over 23,000 vehicles were reported stolen in the first six months of the year in Canada, the report said. The decline is particularly stark in Ontario and Quebec, which saw annual drops of 25.9 per cent and 22.2 per cent, respectively. The year-over-year drops are more modest in Atlantic Canada and Western Canada at roughly nine per cent. Alberta saw a decline of 12.5 per cent. Bryan Gast, national vice-president of investigative services at Équité Association, credits greater public awareness of the threat and efforts by various levels of government and law enforcement agencies to collectively tackle the problem. 'It's really definitely a collaborative effort,' he said. Gast said law enforcement agencies in Ontario and Quebec in particular have stepped up enforcement with police units dedicated to vehicle theft. So far this year, residents of Ontario and Quebec have reported 9,600 and 3,889 vehicle thefts respectively — high numbers that Gast attributed to the provinces' larger populations and proximity to the Port of Montreal. With 4,411 vehicles reported stolen over the first half of 2025, Gast said Alberta continues to lead the country in auto theft on a per-capita basis. Statistics Canada data released earlier this week confirms national progress on the file. The agency reported a 17 per cent annual drop in the rate of police-reported motor vehicle thefts, down to 239 incidents per 100,000 people last year. In 2023, the number of auto thefts had increased 40 per cent over the historic low recorded in 2020, StatCan said. That trend came to a head last year when the federal government convened a summit in February to address car thefts. Ottawa followed up by giving the Canada Border Services Agency millions of dollars in new funding to track vehicles leaving through the country's ports, after having given Ontario $121 million in January of that year to tackle gang crime and auto thefts. Gast said some of the progress can likely be attributed to Canadians' heightened awareness of the issue. 'Now I think you can talk to anybody and, if their car hasn't been stolen, they know somebody's car that has been stolen,' he said. 'I think they are taking those precautions and some of those steps to make their vehicle less of a target.' Vehicle recovery rates also rose 3.4 percentage points year over year to 56.5 per cent in the first half of 2025, Équité Association said. The organization said that was nearing the 'pre-crisis' level of 57.2 per cent recorded in 2021. Despite progress on vehicle theft, the Insurance Bureau of Canada warned it's still a 'significant concern' and 'far from the only factor contributing to rising auto insurance costs.' 'A combination of inflation, tariffs, rising repair and vehicle replacement costs, legal pressures, and regulatory challenges are driving rates up across the country,' the bureau said in a media statement. Tariffs on vehicle parts are driving up the costs of repairs and replacement cars, the bureau noted. Gast said that while it's not clear yet, tariffs might be playing a role in the increase Équité Association is seeing in domestic chop shops and vehicle parts being sent overseas. He said that whenever there's a disruption to supply chains — like the one that made semiconductor inputs a hot commodity during the COVID-19 pandemic — the criminal element tends to adapt to meet that demand. While he's encouraged by the progress Canada has posted to date in tamping down auto theft, he said now is not the time to let up. 'Don't consider the problem solved,' he said. 'To keep it manageable and the numbers trending in the right direction, I think we still need to focus on it.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
Economic Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Canada's rich getting richer, poor getting poorer, income gap reaches historic high as wages decline and investment surges
TIL Creatives Canada income gap hits record high top 20 percent see gains from wages and investments while poorest struggle with falling wages and rising costs StatCan reports The income gap between Canada's richest and poorest households hit a record high in the first quarter of 2025, according to new data released by Statistics Canada on Tuesday(July 15).The federal agency said the difference in the share of disposable income between the top 40 percent and bottom 40 percent of households widened to 49 percentage points, the largest gap ever recorded in the data series. The report highlights growing economic inequality in a country often ranked among the world's most livable. The income gap has steadily increased each year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, reversing gains made in the early in the top 20 percent of the income distribution experienced a 7.7 percent increase in their average disposable income compared to the previous year. The group benefited from higher wages (up 4.7 percent) and strong returns on investments, which surged 7.4 percent year-over-year. By contrast, households in the bottom 20 percent experienced only a 3.2 percent increase in disposable income. Their average wages actually declined by 0.7 percent, reflecting reduced hours and job instability, particularly in retail, service, and part-time work. The poorest Canadians also saw a steep 35.3 percent drop in investment income, widening the income divide. Many in this group rely on social benefits, which helped cushion some of the losses.'We're not just seeing statistical gaps, we're seeing lives stretched thinner every month,' said David Soberman, a professor at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. 'Inflation, job cuts, and interest rates don't hit everyone equally.' The growing income divide raises questions about economic resilience, affordability, and long-term stability. Rising debt loads and stagnant wages are putting pressure on low-income Canadians, while wealth continues to concentrate at the top. According to a related Statistics Canada report, the wealthiest 20 percent of households now control nearly 65 percent of the country's net worth. The bottom 40 percent hold just 3.3 percent. While middle- and upper-income households benefited from cooling inflation and slightly lower interest rates in early 2025, lower-income families continued to struggle with rent hikes, high grocery bills, and unstable employment. The data comes ahead of the next federal fiscal update, where calls are mounting for targeted support measures such as expanded housing assistance, minimum wage hikes, and stronger labor warn that if current trends continue, social and economic polarization could deepen. Statistics Canada is expected to release its second-quarter income data on October 9, which will show whether the trend is continuing or beginning to level off.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Inflation rises to 1.9% in June as vehicle price hikes accelerate
Statistics Canada released June inflation figures on Tuesday. A person pumps fuel in Toronto, on Wednesday, September 12, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michelle Siu The annual pace of inflation accelerated to 1.9 per cent in June as consumers were paying more at car dealerships, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. The June price hike is up from 1.7 per cent in May and was largely in line with economists' expectations. StatCan said gasoline prices were nearly unchanged in June as higher crude oil prices and geopolitical conflicts ratcheted up pressure at the pumps. Motorists saw a steeper monthly decline in prices this time last year, which the agency said led to a rise in headline inflation. Excluding energy, annual inflation was 2.7 per cent in June. The removal of the consumer carbon price at the start of April continues to dampen the annual price comparisons. Food inflation cooled somewhat to 2.9 per cent in June, down from 3.4 per cent in May. StatCan pointed to lower costs for fresh vegetables as driving down inflation at the grocery store. Shelter inflation also continued to ease, dropping a tenth of a percentage point to 2.9 per cent year-over-year in June. But StatCan said price hikes for passenger vehicles accelerated to 4.1 per cent in June from 3.2 per cent the month previous. Used car prices increased annually for the first time in 18 months thanks to tighter inventories. Furniture prices were also rising faster in June as part of broader acceleration from durable goods in StatCan's consumer basket. The June figures mark the final look the Bank of Canada will get at price data before its next interest rate decision on July 30. The central bank's preferred core measures of inflation showed no signs of easing in June, remaining around three per cent. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.. By Craig Lord
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Inflation rises to 1.9% in June as vehicle price hikes accelerate
Statistics Canada released June inflation figures on Tuesday. A person pumps fuel in Toronto, on Wednesday, September 12, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michelle Siu The annual pace of inflation accelerated to 1.9 per cent in June as consumers were paying more at car dealerships, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. The June price hike is up from 1.7 per cent in May and was largely in line with economists' expectations. StatCan said gasoline prices were nearly unchanged in June as higher crude oil prices and geopolitical conflicts ratcheted up pressure at the pumps. Motorists saw a steeper monthly decline in prices this time last year, which the agency said led to a rise in headline inflation. Excluding energy, annual inflation was 2.7 per cent in June. The removal of the consumer carbon price at the start of April continues to dampen the annual price comparisons. Food inflation cooled somewhat to 2.9 per cent in June, down from 3.4 per cent in May. StatCan pointed to lower costs for fresh vegetables as driving down inflation at the grocery store. Shelter inflation also continued to ease, dropping a tenth of a percentage point to 2.9 per cent year-over-year in June. But StatCan said price hikes for passenger vehicles accelerated to 4.1 per cent in June from 3.2 per cent the month previous. Used car prices increased annually for the first time in 18 months thanks to tighter inventories. Furniture prices were also rising faster in June as part of broader acceleration from durable goods in StatCan's consumer basket. The June figures mark the final look the Bank of Canada will get at price data before its next interest rate decision on July 30. The central bank's preferred core measures of inflation showed no signs of easing in June, remaining around three per cent. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.. By Craig Lord
