Violent crime in the US sees largest decline ever 

Violent crime rates in America dropped 9.3% from 2024 to 2025, marking the largest year-to-year decline in 90 years, according to new data the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program released Friday.

Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. The FBI began tracking crimes statistics through its UCR Program in 1936. The 2025 data represents nearly 97% of the American population with reports from state and local law enforcement partners, FBI Director Kash Patel toldFox News.

“The 2025 crime statistics exemplify the great work this FBI and our law enforcement partners on the front line are doing to crush violent crime,” Patel writes in the report.

The 2025 violent crime rate was 8.9% below the 2021 rate and 12.6% below the 2016 rate. In 2025, aggravated assaults accounted for nearly 75% of reported violent crimes; robbery accounted for roughly 15%; rape accounted for 11%, and murder for 1.3%, according to the UCR quick stats data.

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rates in 2025 decreased approximately 18% to hit the lowest rate recorded since 1955 and 1956: 4.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the report. Nearly 50% of murders in 2025 were reported in the South, while about 20% were reported in the Midwest, 20% in the West, and roughly 10% in the Northeast.

Rape offenses also decreased by an estimated 7.6% and aggravated assault decreased by about 7.2% in 2025.

Property crimes, which include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson, also significantly dropped by 12.4% in 2025. Robbery offenses decreased by an estimated 18.5%, and drug overdose deaths decreased by nearly 20%, Patel said.

The decline is continuing in 2026 with violent crime down 10.6%, murder down 23% and rape down 18%, compared to January to June 2025, Patel wrote. Robbery in 2026 has also decreased by 19%, and aggravated assault is down 7%, according to the same six-month comparison.

President Donald Trump announced the statistics while speaking at Nassau County Police Academy in New York.

“It’s a great tribute to all the people in this room,” he said. “Together we are showing what is possible when you finally have a president in the White House who supports our police, who lets you do your jobs, and who always backs the blue.”