With the recent uptick in unprovoked violence across the city's transit network over the past few months, Toronto residents have started to question the city's safety and crime levels. 

Despite a spike in random attacks on the TTC specifically, the Toronto Police Service Public Safety Data Portal shows that current homicide rates are much lower than they were this time last year. 

When looking at the year-to-date data over the past five years, Toronto saw 22 homicides in 2019, 24 in 2020, 23 in 2021, 24 in 2022, and 15 in 2023. 

In general, homicide rates have been declining for the most part, with the exception of 2021, where Toronto saw a total of 85 homicides by the end of the year.

Homicide rates year-to-date over the past five years. Source: Toronto Police Service Public Safety Data Portal. 

The year-end total of 70 for 2022 was also much lower than the high of 96 homicides seen in 2018. 

However, there's been more stabbing-related homicides so far this year (6) than there were last year at this time (4). 

Fatalities amongst pedestrians have also seen a decline the past few years when compared to 2016, when traffic fatalities hit a high of 78. 

You can find all the data on homicide rates in Toronto here.