FBI records greatest single-year decline in violent crime since 1937

Violent crime in the United States fell significantly in 2025, decreasing at a rate not seen in nearly 90 years, according to new preliminary data released by the FBI.

The data found that violent crime overall dropped by roughly 9.3 percent last year. Murders and non-negligent manslaughter declined by more than 18 percent, while aggravated assaults fell by more than 7 percent. Rapes dropped roughly 7.6 percent, and property crime decreased by an estimated 12.4 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,” said FBI Director Kash Patel in a public statement. “Over the last 14 months, we made major transformations at the FBI, and these results show those changes are working. 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 data, which comes from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, collected information from more than 17,000 law enforcement agencies covering around 96 percent of the country.

“The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program is proud to announce this historic early look at annual crime figures,” said FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division Assistant Director Tim Ferguson. “This early release demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to transparency while also ensuring we provide the necessary time and care for accurate data in the annual report.”

Overall, roughly 1.1 million fewer violent crimes occurred in 2025 compared to 2024, according to the data. The full 2025 crime report will be released by the FBI later in 2026.