United States: crime and justice

What is the violent crime rate in the US?

The rate of violent offenses in the United States fell from 393.9 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 370.8 per 100,000 in 2024, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report Crime Known to Law Enforcement, 2024, published on 16 March 2026. Property offenses fell 9%, from 2,019.7 to 1,835.1 per 100,000.

These are national estimates built from the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System, adjusted for agencies that did not report. The FBI publishes its own national estimates for 2025 in the Crime Data Explorer. Recorded crime counts only offenses reported to police; the National Crime Victimization Survey also counts crimes that were not reported.

Official sources: BJS: Crime Known to Law Enforcement, 2024 · FBI Crime Data Explorer

What is the murder rate in the US?

There were 20,162 homicide deaths in the United States in 2024, a rate of 5.9 per 100,000 people, according to CDC National Center for Health Statistics FastStats. Of these, 15,364 were firearm homicides, a rate of 4.5 per 100,000.

These figures come from death certificates in the National Vital Statistics System, so they count victims by cause of death. Police-recorded murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, published by the FBI in the Crime Data Explorer, uses a legal definition and counts offenses reported by law enforcement agencies, so the two series differ.

Official sources: CDC FastStats: Assault or Homicide · FBI Crime Data Explorer

How many Americans are victims of violent crime?

In 2024, 1.45% of people aged 12 or older experienced at least one violent victimization, similar to 2023, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report Criminal Victimization, 2024, published on 29 September 2025. There were 23.3 violent victimizations per 1,000 people aged 12 or older, and the rate of violent victimizations reported to police was 11.2 per 1,000.

The figures come from the National Crime Victimization Survey, which asks households about crimes whether or not they were reported. It excludes homicide and people under 12. BJS ran a redesigned questionnaire alongside the old one in 2024 and has published separate estimates from the new instrument, so check which version a figure uses before comparing years.

Official sources: BJS: Criminal Victimization, 2024

How many people are in prison in the US?

The US prison population was 1,254,200 at year-end 2023, up 24,100 (2%) from 1,230,100 at year-end 2022, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report Prisoners in 2023, published on 30 September 2025. The number of women in state or federal prison rose almost 4% to 91,100.

These counts cover people under the jurisdiction of state and federal prison authorities. They do not include people held in local jails, mostly awaiting trial or serving short sentences, who are counted separately in BJS jail statistics. For a current weekly count of the federal prison population only, see the Federal Bureau of Prisons population statistics.

Official sources: BJS: Prisoners in 2023, Statistical Tables · Federal Bureau of Prisons: Population Statistics

What is the property crime rate in the US?

The rate of property offenses known to law enforcement was 1,835.1 per 100,000 people in 2024, down 9% from 2,019.7 in 2023, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report Crime Known to Law Enforcement, 2024. BJS also found that victimization rates for burglary and larceny-theft both fell between 2023 and 2024.

Property crime covers burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and, in some series, arson. The BJS estimates are based on the FBI's incident-based reporting system and adjust for agencies that did not report. The FBI's 2025 figures are published in the Crime Data Explorer, where rates for states and individual agencies can also be found.

Official sources: BJS: Crime Known to Law Enforcement, 2024 · FBI Crime Data Explorer

How many murders are there in the United States?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the intentional homicide rate in the United States was 5.8 per 100,000 in 2023. Its high point since 2006 was 2021, at 6.8 per 100,000; its low point was 2014, at 4.4 per 100,000. World rank, highest first: 27th of 79.

What is the female homicide rate in the United States?

The latest figure from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for 2023, is 2.6 per 100,000. The peak was 3.0 per 100,000 in 2021 and the low 2.0 per 100,000 in 2014. Of 78 countries with 2023 data, 20th highest.

How many men are murdered in the United States?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the homicide rate for men in the United States was 8.9 per 100,000 in 2023. Its high point since 2005 was 2021, at 10.5 per 100,000; its low point was 2014, at 6.8 per 100,000. Of 78 countries with 2023 data, 28th highest.