The US has recorded another sharp fall in its murder rate, with homicides down 18% in the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2025.
That’s according to analysis from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), which said that the US homicide rate has likely reached a “historic low”.
It’s not just the murder rate that’s falling. The CCJ said that four types of crime have fallen by more than half in recent years: homicide (51% lower than 2022), carjacking (73% lower than 2023), residential burglary (56% lower than 2018), and vehicle theft (down 51% compared to 2023).
While the White House has framed the data as a triumph for the Trump administration, crime rates in the US have been falling for years, albeit with some exceptions, notably shop-lifting and drug offences.
“Murder and other crime rates are falling across the map, in cities with different political leadership, housing and economic conditions, policing and prosecution strategies, violence reduction models, and levels of federal enforcement activity,” said Adam Gelb, the CCJ’s president.
“Local policies and programmes surely matter, but the striking consistency of the decline suggests that macro-level forces are exerting enormous influence as well.”
Image: Andreas Strandman