WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Violent crime in the United States fell sharply in 2025, with the murder rate reaching its lowest level in 20 years.
The FBI’s annual crime report showed an 18.1% drop in the murder rate from 2024. Other major crime categories also declined. Robbery fell 18.5%, while aggravated assault dropped 7.2% and reported rapes declined 7.6%.
The report draws data from thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. Those agencies cover about 96% of the U.S. population.
President Donald Trump highlighted the numbers Friday during an appearance at the Nassau County Police Academy on Long Island. He said the country achieved the largest reduction in violent crime in American history.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI helped arrest eight of the 10 most wanted fugitives during the past 16 months.
The report showed declines beyond violent crime. Motor vehicle theft fell 22.7% in 2025. Burglary dropped 15.8%. Reported hate crime incidents also fell by about 7%. However, the FBI data did not show which groups criminals targeted in those incidents.
Violent crime rose sharply during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, reported crime has declined in many parts of the country.
Jeff Asher, co-founder of data analytics firm AH Datalytics, said the new figures confirm that crime is falling at a historic pace. He also noted that murder has posted record declines for three straight years.
Thaddeus Johnson, a criminology professor at Georgia State University and former Memphis police official, also urged caution. He said police agencies improved information sharing during the pandemic. At the same time, violence reduction programs and changes in public behavior may have helped.
Johnson said officials should focus on strategies that work over the long term. He also urged communities to strengthen violence prevention efforts in neighborhoods that face higher crime rates.
The FBI reported 90,178 assaults against law enforcement officers in 2025, which marked a 10-year high. The data did not establish whether the increase had any connection to the Trump administration’s immigration and crime enforcement efforts.
In Buffalo, New York, the homicide rate fell 48% between 2019 and 2025, according to the Council on Criminal Justice. Buffalo police also reported a further decline in homicides during 2026.
Denver saw homicide cases fall 48% in 2025 compared with 2024. Police there credited focused patrols, firearm removal, technology, and stronger investigations.
Washington, D.C., has also reported steep declines after a federal public safety push that included National Guard troops and federal agents. The Justice Department credited the National Guard with helping reduce crime.
Overall, the 2025 FBI crime report shows a broad decline in violent crime across the United States.
