The long-term crime trend in Saskatchewan and the other provinces is downward — but public perception appears to be going the other way, an Angus Reid poll says.

According to a recent survey by the pollster, 56 per cent of people surveyed in Saskatchewan say there has been an increase in crime in the province over the past five years or so.

People in Saskatchewan are more likely to think the crime rate is going up than people in other provinces. (Angus Reid Institute)

However, according to Statistics Canada, the evidence points the other way.

The federal statistics agency produces a crime severity index report, which looks at numbers per capita but also factors in the severity of the crimes reported.

StatsCan's most recent report on the index showed that from 2004 to 2014, there was a decline in all provinces, including Saskatchewan.

However, Saskatchewan is the province with the highest crime severity index.

Saskatchewan has a higher crime severity index compared to other provinces, but just like the other provinces, it has actually been declining. (Statistics Canada)

"This pattern — of people perceiving crime to be on the rise when it is, in fact, declining — has been recorded in public opinion polling in the United States as well," the polling company said in a news release.

"The reason often cited for this trend is that people tend to see reports of individual crimes in the news media much more often than they see reports that crime on the whole is declining."

It has also been reported that in areas where the crime rate is relatively high, people tend to think the crime rate is rising. This too is borne out by the Saskatchewan response, the Angus Reid report suggests.