FBI Data Shows Significant Decline in U.S. Crime Rates

Despite the drop, a majority of Americans still believe crime is on the rise, possibly due to media influence.

According to new FBI data, crime rates in the United States have significantly declined over the last year, contradicting the widespread perception that crime is on the rise.
Violent crime dropped by 8% and property crime fell by 6.3% in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, reaching its lowest level since 1961.
Murder rates in the United States dropped at an astonishing rate in 2023, probably among the highest on record, with every category of major crime except auto theft declining.
Despite the decrease in crime rates, a recent Gallup poll found that 77% of Americans believe crime rates are worsening, with 92% of Republicans, 78% of independents and 58% of Democrats sharing this belief.
Criminologist Jeff Asher suggests that the discrepancy between the reality and perception of crime rates could be due to the conditioning effect of news media stories and viral videos on social media.