Violent crime in the United States fell sharply in 2025, recording the largest year-to-year decline since the FBI began producing national crime estimates in 1936, according to newly released data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The FBI said the national violent crime rate declined by 9.3 per cent between 2024 and 2025, with reductions recorded across all major categories of violent offences.
Murder and non-negligent manslaughter dropped by an estimated 18.1 per cent, while robbery fell by 18.5 per cent. Rape declined by 7.6 per cent and aggravated assault by 7.2 per cent.
The figures also show that the estimated murder rate fell to 4.1 per 100,000 people, matching the rates recorded in 1955 and 1956 and representing the lowest level since the FBI began producing national estimates.
Overall, the FBI estimated that 1,119,768 violent crime offences occurred across the country in 2025, representing a rate of 327.6 offences per 100,000 people, compared with 362.9 in 2024.
Property crime also declined significantly during the period, falling by an estimated 12.4 per cent. Motor vehicle theft recorded a particularly steep 22.7 per cent reduction, while burglary fell 15.8 per cent and larceny-theft declined 9.8 per cent.
FBI Director Kash Patel attributed the development to increased cooperation among federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, describing the figures as a major achievement for law enforcement across the country.
The data were compiled through the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Programme from information supplied by more than 17,000 law enforcement agencies covering nearly 97 per cent of the US population.
The FBI, however, cautioned that the national figures do not necessarily reflect the experience of every American community, as crime levels can differ significantly between states, cities and counties.
Despite that qualification, the latest figures show a broad national decline across every major violent crime category and mark a second consecutive year of substantial reductions following the rise in violent crime experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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