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Violent crime declined across the United States from 2024 to 2025, with murders dropping by more than 18 percent, according to preliminary annual crime data released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The figures were included in the bureau’s report titled “First Look: 2025 Crime Data,” which provides an early snapshot of nationwide crime trends ahead of the FBI’s full “Crime in the Nation” report expected later this year.
In addition to the decline in homicides, the report found robberies fell an estimated 18.5%, while both rape and aggravated assault decreased by 7 percent.
“The 2025 crime data in this report shows the single largest decrease in violent crime and murder since 1937, as well as huge decreases across the board in terms of aggravated assault, rape, and robbery,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.
Patel credited recent changes within the bureau for the decline in crime.
“Over the last 14 months, we made major transformations at the FBI, and these results show those changes are working,” Patel said. “This FBI will continue to stack these wins for the American people under President Trump and always Back the Blue every step of the way.”
The FBI also reported a 12.4 percent decrease in property crime, including burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.
According to the bureau, the report relied on crime statistics submitted by approximately 17,075 law enforcement agencies nationwide, an increase of 2.4 percent over last year. The agencies collectively represent nearly 96% of the U.S. population.
The report found that 53 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2025, down from 64 the previous year. More than 90,000 officers were assaulted, while 28 officers died accidentally, according to the FBI.
Federal data also showed nearly 414,000 arrests were made for violent crimes and another 868,000 for property crimes during the reporting period.
The bureau estimated that a murder occurred in the United States every 37.3 minutes, while a violent crime took place every 28.2 seconds.
Data collected from 67 police agencies across the country found homicides fell 17.7 percent between Jan. 1 and March 31, while robberies dropped 20.4 percent. The participating agencies included police departments in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Philadelphia.
