Homicides in the United States saw a projected decrease of nearly 16% in 2024, marking the third consecutive year of decline, following a 13% drop in 2023 and a 6% decrease in 2022.
Homicides have dropped for three straight years after a 30% rise in murders from 2019 to 2020, which was the biggest annual increase in over a century.
Jeff Asher, a crime analyst, said that the large decrease in homicides is a great achievement, given the high murder rates from a few years ago.
Several major U.S. cities have experienced significant drops in homicides this year. For instance, Philadelphia’s homicides have decreased by 40% in 2024. Other cities with notable declines include New Orleans (down 38%), Washington, D.C. (down 29%), Memphis (down 23%), Baltimore (down 24%), Kansas City (down 20%), and Los Angeles (down 15%).
Overall, violent crime is expected to decrease by 3.3% nationwide, while property crime is predicted to drop by 8.6% this year, mainly because of a 21.4% reduction in motor vehicle theft.
