Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Crime in the United states
The topic of crime in the United States is broad, technically covering any action punishable under state or federal law. One common way to narrow the scope is to focus on offenses involving jail time and then differentiate between violent crimes and property crimes. Violent crimes involve force or the threat of force against a person, while property crimes involve the taking of money or goods without direct confrontation. Property crimes significantly outnumber violent crimes, with larceny-theft remaining the most commonly committed offense by a wide margin.
Crime rates continued to fall in 2024
According to the FBI's latest data, both violent crime and property crime rates dropped significantly in 2024, reaching their lowest levels in roughly two decades. The decline was broad-based: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter cases saw particularly sharp decreases, while robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft all trended downward as well. Researchers largely attribute the continued drop to the unwinding of pandemic-era stressors that had fueled a surge in homicides between 2020 and 2022. Despite the national downward trend, significant geographic variation remains. States such as New Mexico, Louisiana, and Colorado continued to report high rates of both violent and property crime, while New England states generally recorded some of the lowest rates. Washington, D.C. technically topped several crime rate lists, though this result is misleading due to its strictly urban geography; when compared to other major U.S. cities, the capital ranked behind multiple metropolitan areas.
Public perception does not match the data
Despite sustained decreases, surveys consistently show that a majority of Americans believe crime is increasing each year. This gap between perception and reality has persisted for decades and is partly fueled by extensive media coverage of high-profile incidents. Critics point out that while the FBI's overall figures have improved, areas such as gun violence and mass shootings continue to shape public anxiety and dominate the national conversation around safety. Additionally, the FBI's transition to its new National Incident-Based Reporting System has improved data quality, but gaps in agency reporting mean national crime figures may still undercount the true scope of criminal activity across the country.
