FBI Reports Violent Crime Drop Across US in 2025, Murders Down Over 18%

Violent crime fell across the United States from 2024 to 2025, with murders dropping by more than 18% and other major categories seeing declines not recorded in almost a century, the FBI reported.

The figures came from the FBI's preliminary annual crime trends titled "First Look: 2025 Crime Data." The bureau described the report as a faster, early look at annual trends ahead of its finalized "Crime in the Nation" report later this year.

Homicides declined along with robberies, which fell an estimated 18.5%. Rapes and aggravated assaults both dropped 7%.

"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.

"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."

Property crime, covering burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson, fell an estimated 12.4%, the FBI said. The report drew from data shared by about 17,075 law enforcement agencies, 2.4% more than last year, representing nearly 96% of U.S. residents.

The report noted 53 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2025, down from 64 in 2024. More than 90,000 officers were assaulted, and 28 were accidentally killed.

Nearly 414,000 arrests occurred for violent crimes and 868,000 for property crimes. A murder took place every 37.3 minutes, and a violent crime every 28.2 seconds, the FBI said.

A quarterly report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association found violent crime fell in large U.S. cities during the first months of 2026.