A preliminary survey released Monday found that the violent crime victimization rate dropped by roughly 25% in 2025 from the previous year. The Justice Department said the decline was the largest recorded since 1973.
The National Crime Victimization Survey, conducted by the Census Bureau and published by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, estimated that 669,000 fewer violent crimes—excluding simple assaults—occurred in 2025 than in 2024.
Victimization from aggravated assault fell by an estimated 31%, representing approximately 390,000 fewer incidents than the year before.
The survey is based on interviews with people age 12 and older in households across the United States. Participants were asked about the frequency, nature and effects of their experiences with crime.
For the 2025 survey, interviewers completed 101,980 household interviews. The Bureau of Justice Statistics said 53% of eligible households participated.
The preliminary findings also showed broad declines in other categories of crime. Robbery victimization fell 27%, property crime declined 19%, burglary and trespassing dropped 25%, and motor vehicle theft decreased 29%.
The survey’s early results are consistent with findings released earlier this year in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which reported a sharp decline in violent crime in 2025 and said the nation’s murder rate reached its lowest level in 20 years.
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The FBI report, which compiles data from most law enforcement agencies nationwide, also showed year-over-year declines across several major crime categories. Aggravated assaults decreased 7.2%, rapes fell 7.6% and robberies dropped by about 18.5%.
President Trump and his allies have highlighted the decline in violent crime as they campaign nationwide ahead of the midterm elections, seeking to help Republicans maintain control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Breaking with past practice, the White House released the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report findings before a campaign event on Long Island, New York. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel also attended the event.
