Murders Down Roughly 20 Percent in 2025, FBI Preliminary Data Shows

In an unprecedented mid-spring disclosure, the FBI unveiled preliminary data pointing to the sharpest single-year murder decline in recorded American history.

FBI personnel enter a building in Portsmouth, Va., on May 6, 2026. Peter Casey/The Virginian-Pilot via AP

The FBI on Sunday published an early glimpse at annual crime data, releasing preliminary 2025 data alongside first-quarter 2026 numbers that together show that violent crime has dropped sharply.

The figures, typically released at the end of summer, marked the first time the bureau furnished a preview of annual crime tallies before the end of the following spring.