US on track to have historically low number of homicides in 2026, report says
A report from the Council on Criminal Justice indicates that the U.S. is on track for a historically low homicide rate in 2026. While most crime categories have decreased, there has been a slight uptick in shoplifting and domestic violence.
Why it matters
The data suggests a broad national trend of declining violent crime that transcends local political leadership, challenging narratives about the causes of crime fluctuations.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Data collected from 30 American cities showed an 18% decrease in the homicide rate from 2025 compared to the same period in 2026, translating to about 215 fewer homicides this year, according to a new report from the independent Council on Criminal Justice.
Should the trend continue, it would push the annual homicide rate to the lowest levels in over a century once final numbers are released at the end of the year.
The report, released Thursday, tracked 13 crimes and recorded drops in nine of those categories, including carjackings, residential burglary and aggravated assaults. There was a small jump in shoplifting, domestic violence incidents, sexual assaults and drug offenses over the same period between 2025 and 2026, the report showed.
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