The US murder rate fell to historic lows in 2025 – here’s why

New data shows America’s murder rate reached a historic low

Preliminary data shows the murder rate fell nearly 20% from 2024, likely making it the lowest rate since reliable national data began to be collected in 1960

The US murder rate fell to historic lows in 2025 – here’s why

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

The US murder rate fell to historic lows in 2025 – here’s why

by James Tuttle, University of Montana, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] The murder rate in 2025 was the lowest in modern American history. Preliminary data shows the murder rate fell nearly 20% from 2024, likely making it the lowest rate since reliable national data began to be collected in 1960. Why was the murder rate so low? I’m a professor of sociology and criminology who studies crime trends. I…