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• Canadian police services reported 1,401 hate crimes in 2010, accounting for less than 1% of all Criminal Code offences. Following two consecutive annual increases, the rate fell 18% in 2010 to 4.1 hate crimes per 100,000 population.

• The overall decrease in police-reported hate crime in 2010 was driven by fewer incidents in Toronto (-48 incidents), Vancouver (-46), and Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo (-38). Fluctuations in the annual number of incidents can be influenced by changes in local police service practices and community involvement, as well as the willingness of victims to report incidents to police.

• Most of the decrease in the rate of hate crimes was due to a reduction in the rate of violent hate crimes. The rate of non-violent hate crimes remained relatively stable. Mischief remained the most common type of hate crime, at nearly 6 in 10 incidents.

• As in previous years, there were three primary motivations for police-reported hate crime in 2010. Race or ethnicity was the most common, accounting for over one-half (52%) of all incidents. Another 29% of hate crimes were motivated by religion and 16% were motivated by sexual orientation.

• As has been the case since police-reported hate crime data first became available in 2006, Blacks were the most commonly targeted racial group in 2010. With 271 incidents, hate crimes against Blacks accounted for about 4 in 10 racially motivated incidents.

• Hate crimes against the Jewish faith remained the most common type of religiously motivated hate crime, at almost 6 in 10 such incidents. This was the lowest proportion of hate crimes against this religious group since data collection began in 2006.

• Almost two-thirds (65%) of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation in 2010 were violent. In comparison, 34% of racially motivated hate crimes and 17% of religiously motivated hate crimes were violent.

• Consistent with previous years, the rate of police-reported hate crime was highest among youth and young adults, as both victims and accused persons.