New FBI Data Show Hate Crimes Spiked in 2021, Reaching Highest Level in Decades

A seal reading "Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation" is displayed on the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building in Washington, on Aug. 9, 2022. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Hate crimes in the United States have jumped to an alarming level in 2021, largely driven by crimes based on race and ethnicity, according to a supplemental report released by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

FBI data released on Monday show the total reported hate crime incidents increased from 8,120 in 2020 to 9,065 in 2021—an increase of 11.6 percent.