For decades, the crime rate in the US has trended downward, and the latest data is no different. In 2020, the overall crime rate for the nation was 6.2% lower than in 2019. However, violent crime rose 4.7% in 2020. And while crime is down over time nationally, at the state level, the reality can be different.
How do current crime levels compare to the past?
Crime in 2020 was 60% lower than in 1980. The crime rate began consistently declining in the early 1990s and fell every year between 2001 and 2020.
