FBI report shows decrease in violent crime, increase in vehicle theft in 2023

Washington — Violent crime and property crime decreased overall in 2023, according to data released by the FBI on Monday, although the year saw a rise in car thefts. 

The FBI’s 2023 crime report, which the agency releases annually, uses crime statistics from law enforcement agencies and partners throughout the country to outline the crime landscape nationwide. This year’s report comes just weeks ahead of the presidential election, where crime has become a key issue on the campaign trail. 

Violent crime down

Violent crime — which includes murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, aggravated assault and robbery — decreased by around 3% from 2022 to 2023 nationwide, the report found. 

Among the findings, murder and non-negligent manslaughter saw a decrease of 11.6% from the previous year, along with a 9.4% decrease in rape, a 0.3% decrease in robberies and a 2.8% decrease in aggravated assault. 

The declining violent crime rates come after a spike in violent crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime also waned in 2022, falling by 1.7%.

Overall, more than 1.2 million violent crimes were committed in 2023, the report estimated. 

Property crime down, car thefts up

Property crime was also down overall, with a 2.4% drop from 2022, accounting for burglary, larceny theft and motor vehicle theft. While burglary decreased by 7.6% and larceny — property theft without violence — by 4.4%, motor vehicle theft saw an increase of 12.6%, according to the report. 

Car thefts were also up substantially in 2022, with a nearly 11% rise from 2021. The slight decline in property crime more broadly comes after rates rose by around 7% from 2021 to 2022.

In 2023, more than 6.4 million property crimes were committed, according to the report. 

Andres Triay contributed to this report.