Violent Crime Fell 25 Percent in 2025, Justice Department Survey Finds

Violent crime in the United States fell sharply in 2025, according to preliminary estimates from the National Crime Victimization Survey released by the Department of Justice on Monday, October 26.

The survey is compiled by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and collected by the Census Bureau. It counts nonfatal crimes against people and households, including crimes that were never reported to police, and the Justice Department calls it the nation's primary source of information on criminal victimization.

The headline numbers

The rate of non-fatal violent crime excluding simple assault declined 25 percent, from 9.9 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in 2024 to 7.4 per 1,000 in 2025. The Justice Department said that category, called serious violent victimization, covers rape or sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault. Reporting on the survey put the drop at an estimated 669,000 fewer violent crimes than in 2024.

Aggravated assault fell the most. Its rate declined 31 percent, from 4.5 per 1,000 persons in 2024 to 3.1 per 1,000 in 2025, an estimated 390,000 fewer incidents. Robbery victimization fell 27 percent, an estimated 172,000 fewer robberies than the year before.

The New York Post reported that the declines were the largest single year reduction in the history of the survey, which began in 1973.

Property crime fell too

Property victimization also dropped across every category the department listed. The overall property crime rate declined 19 percent, from 138.0 per 1,000 households in 2024 to 111.2 per 1,000 in 2025.

Burglary or trespassing fell 25 percent, an estimated 460,000 fewer incidents. The motor vehicle theft rate fell 30 percent, an estimated 349,000 fewer victimizations. Other types of household theft fell 19 percent.

What officials said

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward credited the administration's public safety agenda for the results. "This report is proof that President Trump's 'Make America Safe Again' agenda is working," Woodward said in the department's statement. "Under President Trump and Attorney General Blanche, the safety of law-abiding Americans will always come first. This success reinforces our commitment to ensuring every American can live, work, and raise a family without fear."

The survey results follow a separate Bureau of Justice Statistics report published last week, which showed homicide rates fell 17 percent in 2025 compared with 2024. The FBI's Uniform Crime Report, released earlier this year, also showed sharp declines in violent crime in 2025 and a murder rate at its lowest level in 20 years.

A redesigned survey, with a caution

The 2025 figures come with a methodological caution. The Bureau of Justice Statistics fully transitioned to a redesigned survey instrument, called the NCVS-R, in January 2025, and the department said this release presents the first estimates from the fully transitioned survey. The Washington Examiner reported that the department's statisticians say the new estimates are not directly comparable to figures produced under the previous methodology.

The Justice Department describes the survey's annual sample as about 240,000 persons, age 12 or older, in about 150,000 households across the United States. Reporting on the preliminary 2025 findings said interviewers completed 101,980 household interviews, with 53 percent of eligible households taking part. Respondents were asked about the frequency, characteristics and consequences of crimes they experienced, whether or not those crimes were reported to police.