Newly released data from Statistics Canada is showing that Canadian Jews were the most targeted group for hate crimes once again in 2018.

As the trend from the past two years continues, Jews in Canada remain the most frequently targeted group for hate crimes according to Jewish service organization B'nai Brith.

The statistics reveal that a total of 347 hate crimes reported by police targeted Jewish people last year, a slightly lower number from the previous year, where police-reported incidents totalled 360.

B'nai Brith reports that hate crimes against Jews represented approximately 19 per cent of the national total, a two per cent increase from 2017.

In Canada, Jewish people account for approximately one per cent of the population.

Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada, is asking government bodies to take part in preventing and stopping acts of antisemitism.

"Figures released by StatsCan demonstrate that antisemitic hate crimes remain an urgent concern, with one occurring almost every day of the year on average,” the CEO explained. “That is why we urge federal, provincial and municipal governments across the country to take serious steps to combat antisemitism, such as adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism for greater clarity.”

Hate crimes in Canada, Statistics Canada says, declined by 13 per cent last year in total, but remained still at the second-highest level in ten years. The report ranks African-Canadians as the second most targeted group in 2018, with Muslims following.