Crime rates in the USA have dropped by over 20% in 2025 compared to the previous year, the largest decrease recorded in a year – and it could be the lowest crime rate since 1900, according to a study published Thursday by the Council on Criminal Justice.
The annual report on crime trends analyzed data from 40 major cities in the United States for 13 different types of crimes, including murders, auto thefts, other thefts, and drug-related crimes, as reported by CBS News.
Along with homicides, which decreased by 21% from 2024, auto thefts decreased by 61% since 2023, while shoplifting decreased by 10% from 2024.
Overall, the crime rate has decreased, with violent crimes at, or below, the levels recorded in 2019, the analysis found - drug-related crimes were the only category that increased during this period, while sexual assault remained at a constant level.
Researchers have pointed out multiple reasons for the significant decrease in the number of homicides, but have warned that "identifying the decisive factors with certainty is a challenge."
Lead author of the report, Ernesto Lopez, stated that while "the overall decrease in crime, especially homicides, is good news," crime rates have been consistently decreasing since the late 2000s, before a notable increase in 2020.
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"It is possible that these rates reflect a long-term downward trend, punctuated by periods of increased homicides," Lopez said.
The cities - which included New York, Philadelphia, Omaha, Nebraska, and Raleigh, North Carolina, among others - were selected based on the availability of crime statistics at the time of data collection, in early January 2026.
While data varied among cities, researchers stated that there were 25% fewer crimes in 2025 compared to 2019, with rates decreasing in 27 out of the 35 cities in the sample.
Richmond, Virginia, saw a 59% decrease, Los Angeles recorded a 39% decrease, and New York's rate dropped by 10%.
Crime rates in some cities remained stable, while a few others saw reductions of less than 5%.