Politics · United States · 4 hrs ago
US survey finds largest annual drop in violent crime since 1973
A US Justice Department survey found major nonfatal violent crimes fell about 25% in 2025, Donald Trump's first year back in office.
Aggravated assault fell 31%, vehicle theft fell 30%, and burglary and trespassing fell 25% compared with 2024.
The survey recorded its largest one-year decline since it began in 1973 and draws on a representative sample of about 150,000 households.
The Trump administration says its tough-on-crime policies helped, but the figures do not prove those policies caused the decline.
The survey showed a bigger drop than FBI figures released in May, though the two agencies use different methods.
The administration plans to promote the numbers as a policy achievement ahead of the midterm elections, while the causes of the decline still need further analysis.
A US Justice Department survey found that most nonfatal violent crimes fell sharply in 2025, with major categories including robbery and sexual violence down about 25% from 2024.
The department said the decline was the largest annual drop since its National Crime Victimization Survey began in 1973.
Aggravated assault fell 31%, while motor vehicle theft fell 30%, according to the preliminary survey.
The Trump administration described the figures as evidence that its crime policies were working, but the report alone cannot establish that those policies caused the decline.
The survey’s declines were larger than those in FBI statistics released in May.
- Who
- The US Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics reported the findings.
- What
- A survey found a sharp annual fall in most nonfatal violent crimes in the United States.
- When
- The figures cover 2025 compared with 2024. The department released the preliminary findings on October 26.
- Where
- United States.
- Why
- The reason for the decline is not established. The Trump administration credited its crime policies, but the report does not prove a causal link.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
FBI statistics reported that aggravated assault had fallen by more than 7% and overall violent crime by about 9.3%.
The survey found that most nonfatal violent crimes fell compared with 2024.
The Justice Department released preliminary survey findings describing the decline as the largest annual drop since 1973.
- Survey period
- 2025 compared with 2024
- Aggravated assault
- Down 31%, or about 390,000 incidents
- Motor vehicle theft
- Down 30%, or about 349,000 vehicles
- Breaking and unlawful entry crimes
- Down 25%, or about 460,000 incidents
- Survey sample
- About 150,000 households and 240,000 people
- Survey history
- Largest annual decline since the survey began in 1973
What people are saying
This report is evidence that President Trump’s Make America Safe Again policy is working