FBI reports largest drop in violent crime and murder since 1937 as homicides fall more than 18%

May 14, 2026

Violent crime fell sharply across the U.S. in 2025, with murders declining over 18% in the largest drop since 1937, according to FBI crime data.

"Over the last 14 months, we made major transformations at the FBI, and these results show those changes are working," Patel said in a statement. "This FBI will continue to stack these wins for the American people under President Trump and always Back the Blue every step of the way."

The report found that 53 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2025, down from 64 in 2024. More than 90,000 were assaulted and 28 were accidentally killed, the FBI said.

Meanwhile, nearly 414,000 arrests were made for violent crimes and another 868,000 for property crimes. The FBI noted that a murder in the U.S. occurred every 37.3 minutes and a violent crime happened every 28.2 seconds.

Meanwhile, a quarterly report released by the Major Cities Chiefs Association said violent crime fell across large U.S. cities in the first months of 2026.

Data collected from 67 responding U.S. police agencies found that homicides fell 17.7%, alongside a 20.4% drop for robberies from Jan. 1 through March 31. Some of the agencies include police departments in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Philadelphia.