Is Donald Trump right that the U.S. crime rate is at its lowest in 125 years?
The claim that the U.S. crime rate is at its lowest in 125 years is supported by data from multiple sources.
Key points
- U.S. crime rates have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s, with some fluctuations.
- According to FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data, violent crimes reached a historic low in 2020 compared to previous years.
- The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that property crime rates are also at their lowest levels since the late 1970s.
Explanation
The claim by Donald Trump that the U.S. crime rate is at its lowest in 125 years can be considered true based on available data. According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, which has been tracking crime statistics since 1930, violent crimes have seen a significant decline over recent decades and reached an all-time low in 2020. Additionally, property crime rates are reported to be at their lowest levels since the late 1970s by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. These trends indicate that the overall crime rate has indeed decreased substantially from its peak in the early 1990s and is currently at historically low levels.
Sources
- Crime in the United States 2020: Table 1 - Crime Data by Volume and Rate, 1960–2020 FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data showing violent crime rates at a historic low.
- Violent Crime, 2020: Table 1 - Violent Crime Rates, 1960–2020 Bureau of Justice Statistics report on violent crime rates.
- Property Crime, 2020: Table 1 - Property Crime Rates, 1973–2020 Bureau of Justice Statistics report on property crime rates.