Calgary saw one of the largest declines in severe crimes in the country in 2011.

A new report from Statistics Canada shows Calgary's "Crime Severity Index" drop by 14-percent, second only to Victoria at 17-percent.

The city also saw an 11-percent decrease in its "Violent Crime Severity Index".

This despite the Prairie provinces seeing higher violent crime rates than other areas of the country, with Manitoba having the highest homicide rate, followed by Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The agency says fewer crimes were reported to police in 2011 than at any other time in the last 40 years.