The FBI released statistics on August 14, 2026, indicating a record decrease in the national estimated violent crime rate for 2025. The overall violent crime rate declined by 9.3% compared to 2024, while the murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate fell by 18.1%. These represent the largest year-to-year decreases since the FBI began tracking this data in 1936.
FBI Director Kash Patel noted that the 2025 murder rate of 4.1 per 100,000 inhabitants is tied with 1955 and 1956 for the lowest since the agency started estimations. The report indicated there were approximately 1,119,768 violent crimes and 14,085 murders in 2025. Both rates have seen annual declines since a peak in 2022, with the violent crime rate dropping by 4.5% in 2024 and murders decreasing by 14.9%.
The report also highlighted decreases in other crime categories, including a 7.6% reduction in reported rapes, an 18.5% decrease in robbery, and a 7.5% decline in aggravated assault. Property crimes overall decreased by 12.4%, with burglaries down 15.8% and motor vehicle thefts down by an estimated 22%. However, assaults on law enforcement officers increased by 13.8%, reaching a 10-year high with 90,178 reported assaults.