2022 Sees 6% Drop in Killings and Decline in Violent Crime, FBI Reports

Homicides and violent crime in the United States decreased in 2022, according to FBI data. After two years of increasing killings, murder and manslaughter fell by 6.1 percent, and the overall violent crime rate declined by 1.7 percent. However, property crimes, including stolen motor vehicles and thefts, increased by 7.1 percent. The data also highlighted the continued role of guns in American violence. Experts attribute the previous surge in killings to factors such as the stress of the pandemic and the high number of guns in the country. While cities still face ongoing gun violence, there have been positive signs with declining homicides in many places. The FBI's data aligns with prior analyses and publicly available data for 2022.