Murder rate drops to lowest level since 1900 across major US cities nationwide - Murders across the U.S. dropped last year to a historic low, according to researchers, marking a dramatic turnaround after violent crime surged in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and as left-wing leaders espoused ideas like defunding their police departments and releasing repeat offenders without bail.

The Council on Criminal Justice found a 21% decline in homicides across 35-40 major cities in 2025, with 11 of 13 crime categories falling and nine dropping by 10% or more.

Officials and Trump administration figures credited federal crackdowns, increased arrests and targeted operations for driving historic declines, citing programs like Operation Summer Heat.

Cities such as Denver (41% drop), Washington, D.C. and Omaha (40% each) reported the largest homicide declines; a few cities, including Little Rock, Fort Worth and Milwaukee, saw increases.

Other offenses fell sharply in 2025: robberies down 23%, gun assaults down 22%, carjackings down 43%, while drug crimes rose 7% as the sole increasing category.

Researchers noted declines began earlier in the decade; CCJ and Major Cities Chiefs Association data show consecutive annual homicide decreases since 2022, and FBI national figures for 2025 are pending.