FBI data shows U.S. murder rate at historic low not seen since the 1950s
The nation's murder rate in 2025 fell to levels not seen since the mid-1950s, according to new FBI data, with both murder and violent crime registering their largest single-year drops since the bureau began tracking these figures in 1936.
The reported rate of 4.1 murders per 100,000 people matched lows recorded in 1955 and 1956, marking the lowest in FBI history, according to the agency's annual Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Independent researchers point to continued momentum. A midyear analysis from the Council on Criminal Justice shows homicide rates still falling, suggesting the national rate could reach yet another historic low in 2026.
“This is one of the most significant public safety developments in decades,” said Adam Gelb, the council's president and CEO. “Homicide has now fallen by more than half since 2022. That means lives saved, families spared trauma, and communities made safer — and it deserves to be celebrated.”
The council estimates homicide levels are now at their lowest in at least 120 years, following a historic 30% spike between 2019 and 2020. Its midyear snapshot covers trends in three dozen cities from January through June.
“The reasons for the decline are much less clear than the decline itself,” Gelb said. “There will be plenty of competition to claim credit, but the evidence isn't ready to award a trophy.”
Researchers and law enforcement officials have floated a range of possible explanations, including shifts in criminal justice strategies, advances in technology and broader social and cultural changes, according to the council, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C.
“We need to understand what's working, where, for whom, and under what conditions,” Gelb said. “Progress we don't understand is progress we risk squandering.”
The FBI's 2025 report, compiled from submissions by more than 17,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide, showed murders and nonnegligent manslaughter down 18.1% from 2024. Violent crime fell 9.3%, robbery dropped 18.5%, and property crime declined 12.4%.
“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,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Participation in the FBI's data program rose 2.4% from the prior year, with over 17,000 agencies reporting.
Mid-sized cities — those with populations between 500,000 and 1 million — saw the sharpest reductions in serious crime. Murders fell 27%, robbery 23%, rape 18% and violent crime 15% in that group.
Hate crimes also declined 7% overall, from 11,404 reported incidents in 2024 to 10,606 in 2025.
But the report also highlighted persistent dangers for law enforcement. Assaults on officers in the line of duty hit a 10-year high in 2025, with a quarter of the 90,178 attacks occurring while officers were responding to disturbance calls. Fifty-three officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty, the report said.