Beneath the grim and ever-present statistic that America sees over 21,000 lives violently ended each year lies a complex landscape of crime shaped by firearm prevalence, stark racial disparities, and a justice system that leaves nearly half of all murders unsolved.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the United States recorded 21,156 murders and nonnegligent manslaughters, a 0.3% increase from 2021, with a rate of 6.3 per 100,000 inhabitants
- Firearm homicides accounted for 79% of all homicides in the US in 2021, totaling 19,651 deaths
- The homicide rate among Black Americans was 29.0 per 100,000 in 2021, compared to 3.4 for White Americans
- In 2022, there were 369,380 reported aggravated assaults nationwide, a 2.8% decrease from 2021
- Robberies totaled 202,962 incidents in 2022, down 1.6% from prior year
- Simple assault victimization rate was 11.4 per 1,000 persons age 12+ in 2021 per NCVS
- In 2022, burglaries numbered 898,585 nationwide, down 0.9% from 2021
- Larceny-thefts totaled 5,245,065 incidents in 2022, a 2.1% increase
- Motor vehicle thefts rose 8.4% to 1,037,354 in 2022, highest since 2001
- In 2022, drug abuse violations arrests totaled 1,193,631, down 7% from 2021
- Opioid overdose deaths: 81,806 in 2022, mostly fentanyl
- Marijuana possession arrests: 227,108 in 2022
- Identity theft complaints: 1,032,901 to FTC in 2022
- Elder fraud losses: $3.4 billion in 2022
- Cybercrime complaints: 880,418 to IC3 in 2022, losses $10.3 billion
American homicide rates remain persistently high with firearms responsible for the vast majority.
Assault and Robbery
- In 2022, there were 369,380 reported aggravated assaults nationwide, a 2.8% decrease from 2021
- Robberies totaled 202,962 incidents in 2022, down 1.6% from prior year
- Simple assault victimization rate was 11.4 per 1,000 persons age 12+ in 2021 per NCVS
- 42% of aggravated assaults involved firearms in 2022
- Street robberies accounted for 52% of all robberies in large cities in 2022
- Male victims of violent crime excluding homicide: 25.1 per 1,000 in 2021
- Aggravated assault clearance rate: 50.5% in 2022
- Robbery rate in urban areas: 113.5 per 100,000 in 2022
- 1.1 million assaults reported to police in 2021
- Domestic violence assaults: 20% of aggravated assaults in 2022
- Bank robberies: 1,324 in 2022, down from 5,000+ in 1990s
- Assault victims aged 12-24: highest rate of 25.2 per 1,000 in 2021
- Firearm use in robberies: 29% in 2022
- Workplace assaults: 28,490 serious incidents in 2022
- Black victims of robbery: 2.9 per 1,000 in 2021
- Convenience store robberies: 12,740 in 2022
- Assault clearance in agencies under 10k pop: 62.1% in 2022
- Elderly robbery victimization: 1.5 per 1,000 age 65+ in 2021
- Carjacking incidents: 3,411 reported in 2022
- Assaults with injury: 45% of aggravated assaults in 2022
- Robbery offenders median age: 27 in 2022 arrests
- Rural assault rate: 8.2 per 1,000 in 2021 NCVS
- School-related assaults: 98,000 in 2021-22 school year
- Repeat victimization for assault: 25% within 1 year
- Strong-arm robberies: 45% of total robberies in 2022
- Assault on law enforcement: 62,500 officers assaulted in 2022
- Female assault victims: 10.8 per 1,000 in 2021
Assault and Robbery Interpretation
While there is a slight, almost polite, decline in the overall numbers, the persistent and deeply troubling snapshot of American violence reveals we're still a nation where arguments are too often settled with a firearm, robberies are a coin flip for being solved, and the young, the Black community, and convenience store clerks bear a disproportionate burden of our collective failure to find better ways to disagree or get what we want.
Drug Offenses
- In 2022, drug abuse violations arrests totaled 1,193,631, down 7% from 2021
- Opioid overdose deaths: 81,806 in 2022, mostly fentanyl
- Marijuana possession arrests: 227,108 in 2022
- Drug trafficking organizations dismantled: 1,200+ in FY2022
- Synthetic opioids seizures: 379 million doses in 2022
- Methamphetamine lab incidents: 179 in 2022, down from thousands pre-2010
- Heroin overdose deaths: 9,289 in 2021
- Drug possession arrests for juveniles: 40,200 in 2022
- Fentanyl pills seized: 115 million in 2023
- Cocaine trafficking arrests: 25,000 in 2022
- Drug-induced deaths rate: 32.4 per 100,000 in 2022
- Border drug seizures: 2.4 million lbs marijuana in FY2022
- Prescription opioid misuse: 9.3 million past-year users in 2021
- Crack cocaine arrests: 12,500 in 2022
- Rural drug overdose rate: 21.0 per 100,000 vs urban 18.5 in 2021
- Drug court participants: 150,000 annually
- Black drug arrest rate: 3x White rate for possession
- Fentanyl trafficking indictments: 4,000+ in 2022
- Drug paraphernalia arrests: 15,000 in 2022
- Veteran drug overdoses: 6,176 in 2021
- Cartel-related drug violence: 30,000 US seizures linked
- Drug testing positives in workplace: 4.6% in 2022
- Juvenile drug sales arrests: 15,400 in 2022
- MDMA/ecstasy seizures: 500 lbs in FY2022
- Drug overdose disparities: Native Americans 56.6 per 100,000 in 2022
- Pill mill closures: 1,200 since 2012
- Drug possession conviction rate: 85% of arrests in 2022
Drug Offenses Interpretation
While we’re handcuffing more people for simple possession, the real grim reaper—the synthetic opioid trade—is slipping through the cracks, leaving a trail of tragedy that makes our current enforcement priorities look tragically misaligned.
Fraud and Cybercrime
- Identity theft complaints: 1,032,901 to FTC in 2022
- Elder fraud losses: $3.4 billion in 2022
- Cybercrime complaints: 880,418 to IC3 in 2022, losses $10.3 billion
- Investment scams: $3.3 billion losses in 2022
- Phishing/vishing/smishing: 298,878 complaints, $52 million loss in 2022
- Business email compromise: $2.7 billion losses from 21,439 complaints in 2022
- Ponzi scheme losses: $4 billion recovered since 2019
- Credit card fraud: $7.5 billion losses in 2022
- Ransomware attacks: 4,104 on US entities in 2023
- Wire fraud in mortgages: $1.9 billion in 2022
- Romance scams: 70,000 victims, $1.3 billion loss in 2022
- Tech support scams: 23,000 complaints, $852 million loss
- Securities fraud convictions: 400+ in FY2022
- Health care fraud: $4.3 billion charged in 2022
- Cryptocurrency scams: $3.9 billion losses in 2022
- Check fraud: 680,000 complaints, $12.5 billion exposure
- Corporate fraud recoveries: $2.9 billion in FY2022
- Online auction fraud: 15,000 complaints in 2022
- Government imposter scams: 180,000 victims, $700 million loss
- Embezzlement convictions: 1,200 in federal courts 2022
- PPP loan fraud: $64 billion improper payments
- Dark web cybercrime markets: $1.7 billion revenue 2022
- Insider trading cases: 90 charged in 2022
- Money mule recruitment: 14,000 cases in 2022
- Tax fraud refunds: $8.8 billion improper in 2022
- Data breaches: 1,802 in 2022 affecting 422 million records
- Pyramid schemes: 5,000 complaints, $100 million loss
- Wire transfer fraud recoveries: $500 million in 2022
- Nonprofit fraud losses: $40 billion annually estimated
Fraud and Cybercrime Interpretation
The sheer volume and variety of these scams prove that while the American dream may be free, the grift to steal it is now a multi-trillion-dollar industry operating on every platform from your dating app to your email inbox.
Homicide Statistics
- In 2022, the United States recorded 21,156 murders and nonnegligent manslaughters, a 0.3% increase from 2021, with a rate of 6.3 per 100,000 inhabitants
- Firearm homicides accounted for 79% of all homicides in the US in 2021, totaling 19,651 deaths
- The homicide rate among Black Americans was 29.0 per 100,000 in 2021, compared to 3.4 for White Americans
- In 2020, there were 24,576 firearm-related homicides in the US, the highest on record
- Homicide victimization rate for males aged 15-34 was 36.9 per 100,000 in 2021
- Clearance rate for murders in 2022 was 52.3% nationally, varying from 90% in small agencies to 36.7% in large cities
- In 2022, New York City reported 438 homicides, down 11.8% from 2021
- Gang-related homicides comprised 13% of all homicides in large US cities in 2021
- Intimate partner homicides resulted in 1,549 female victims in 2021
- The US homicide rate peaked at 9.8 per 100,000 in 1991 and fell to 5.0 by 2014 before rising
- In 2022, 54% of homicides involved firearms known to be used
- Homicide rates in rural areas were 4.2 per 100,000 in 2021, versus 7.8 in urban areas
- Child homicides under age 1 numbered 384 in 2021, mostly by maltreatment
- Mass shootings (4+ victims) occurred 636 times in 2023, killing 693
- Black males aged 15-34 had a homicide rate of 95.3 per 100,000 in 2021
- Drug-related homicides increased 30% from 2019 to 2022
- Police homicides numbered 1,145 in 2022
- Homicide offenders were known in 64% of cases in 2022
- In 2021, 93% of Black homicide victims were killed by firearms
- Elderly homicide rate (65+) was 2.3 per 100,000 in 2021
- Domestic violence homicides: 10% of total homicides in 2020
- Chicago reported 617 homicides in 2022
- Homicide rate for Hispanics was 7.9 per 100,000 in 2021
- Multiple-victim homicides: 1,200 incidents in 2022
- Homicide clearance in South region: 48.5% in 2022
- Youth (under 18) homicide victims: 2,590 in 2021
- Robbery-related homicides: 1,200 in 2022
- Homicide rate in Midwest: 5.8 per 100,000 in 2022
- Female homicide offenders: 10.5% of total in 2022
- Pandemic-era homicide spike: +30% from 2019 to 2021
Homicide Statistics Interpretation
America has made a statistically precise, morbidly ironic art of distributing its violence—consistently armed, disproportionately fatal to young Black men, largely unsolved in its cities, and tragically domestic in its details—all while managing the grim feat of treating a 0.3% annual increase as stability.
Property Crimes
- In 2022, burglaries numbered 898,585 nationwide, down 0.9% from 2021
- Larceny-thefts totaled 5,245,065 incidents in 2022, a 2.1% increase
- Motor vehicle thefts rose 8.4% to 1,037,354 in 2022, highest since 2001
- Burglary rate: 166.2 per 100,000 in 2022
- Residential burglaries: 57% of all burglaries in 2022
- Shoplifting incidents: 1.2 million arrests in 2022
- Property crime victimization rate: 19.8 per 1,000 households in 2021 NCVS
- Auto theft clearance rate: 12.1% in 2022
- Burglary with forced entry: 62% in 2022
- Retail theft losses: $112 billion in 2022
- Bike thefts: 194,000 annually, 2% clearance rate
- Property crimes in urban areas: 23.1 per 1,000 in 2021
- Purse snatching/pocket picking: 70,000 incidents in 2022
- Home invasion burglaries: 1% of burglaries but 25% of violent burglaries
- K-12 school thefts: 300,000 incidents in 2021-22
- Catalytic converter thefts: 14,433 arrests in 2022
- Property crime trend: down 67% since 1993 peak
- Elderly property victimization: 16.5 per 1,000 households 65+ in 2021
- Commercial burglaries: 38% of total in 2022
- Mail theft complaints: 352,000 in 2022
- Construction site thefts: $1 billion losses annually
- Repeat property victimization: 18% within 1 year
- Larceny value over $1,000: 15% of cases in 2022
- Rural property crime rate: 15.2 per 1,000 in 2021
- Black households property victimization: 22.4 per 1,000 in 2021
- Burglar alarm effectiveness: reduces burglary risk by 300%
- Package theft (porch piracy): 260 million incidents in 2022
- Counterfeit goods seizures: $1.1 billion in 2022
- Hotel room burglaries: 25,000 annually
Property Crimes Interpretation
America’s burglars seem to be taking a slight coffee break, shoplifters are having a moment, and car thieves are outright throwing a party, painting a picture where your catalytic converter is far more likely to go on an adventure than the person who stole it will ever get caught for it.
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