Record One-Year Decline in U.S. Murders Reaches 21% in 2025, CCJ Finds
A Council on Criminal Justice study shows U.S. murders fell more than 21% in 2025—the largest single-year decline on record and possibly the lowest rate since 1900—across 40 large cities, with overall crime down toward 2019 levels; homicides declined in most cities (e.g., Richmond −59%, Los Angeles −39%, New York City −10%), while drug offenses rose, and experts say the causes are not yet certain but may include enforcement focusing on high-crime neighborhoods, improved investigations, and pandemic-era funding.