New data from the FBI show the nation’s violent crime rate fell 9.3% in 2025, marking the largest year-to-year decline since the agency began estimating crime trends in 1936.
The FBI published the figures as part of its most recent reporting on national crime trends. The 9.3% drop represents the steepest single-year decrease in the FBI’s historical estimates, which date back to 1936.
Officials and analysts will assess the figures as they review law enforcement data and long-running statistical series. Because the decline is measured against a record that spans nearly a century, the new numbers are notable for their place in the historical record maintained by the FBI.
The bureau’s reporting provides a baseline for comparisons across years and for policymakers, researchers and the public who track changes in crime rates over time. The newly released 2025 figure establishes a clear year-to-year change in the violent crime rate as recorded by the FBI’s estimates.
Further examination of the FBI’s materials and supporting data will be required to place the 9.3% decline in additional context. For now, the agency’s headline finding is unambiguous: 2025 saw the largest annual drop in the violent crime rate since the FBI began its long-running estimates in 1936.