The FBI’s 2023 annual crime report is the most complete estimate of national statistics available, incorporating data from more than 16,000 local police agencies covering roughly 94 percent of the population. This page highlights key trends in the data.
The national murder rate saw a historic drop from 2022 to 2023 and is down by around 16 percent from its 2020 peak.
Historical Trends in Crime Rates, 1990–2023
Rates of violent crime and property crime are approaching historical low points.
The only year with a lower property crime rate since 1990 is 2020 — when many stores were closed, decreasing opportunities for theft.
Regional statistics reveal important differences:
- The Northeast maintained the lowest murder and violent crime rates in both 2020 and 2023 compared to other regions, while murder rates in the South are the highest (roughly 25 percent above the national average).
- The Midwest recorded the most substantial reductions in both murder and violent crime rates, falling by 22 percent and 13 percent respectively.
- Only the Northeast saw an increase in property crime between 2020 and 2023 (13.1 percent) and only the West saw an increase in violent crime (7 percent).
Recent Changes in Crime Rates by Geography, 2020–2023
When it comes to major cities, the murder rate in New York remains lower than the national average and that of all other major cities in the group studied here, having fallen by around 15 percent since 2020. Other cities have seen even more remarkable declines in their murder rates over the same period, including Chicago (down 33.7 percent since 2020) and Baltimore (down 27.8 percent). But others remained well above 2020 levels through 2023 — most notably Washington (40 percent).
Recent Changes in Crime Rates in Selected Major Cities, 2020–2023
Methodology and Limitations
Except where indicated, all data above was drawn from Crime in the United States Annual Reports, available on the FBI’s website under “Documents and Downloads.” Terms used in the tables above, such as regional groupings, are drawn from FBI reports.
This data comes with a few key limitations. First, it includes only those offenses reported or known to police. Many crimes go unreported. A national survey seeks to account for unreported offenses, but can also be imprecise. Second, data on this page cover only the most serious offenses known to police: murder, robbery, aggravated assault, rape, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and larceny. Misdemeanors that entail theft, such as shoplifting, are included in these totals. But many other misdemeanors, which can nonetheless affect public safety and perceptions of it, are not.
Last, this data covers only through the end of 2023. At the time of publication, though, data compiled by researchers from local police reports showed crime dropping further in 2024, with an approximate 15 percent estimated decline in murders. The Real-Time Crime Index, an independent research venture that draws on data from a large sample of police agencies, may provide additional statistics on crime through late 2024 and 2025.
