American Crime data is often summarized as a single headline, but the details don’t behave that way. For example, violent incidents are down in some categories, while drug overdoses and cyber losses keep climbing, with 81,806 opioid overdose deaths recorded in 2022 and $10.3 billion lost to cybercrime that same year. To make sense of that push pull, this post connects the dots across assaults, robberies, homicide, property crime, and fraud using the latest available U.S. measures.
Key Takeaways
- 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, 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
- 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, 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, violent crime fell slightly while robberies and assaults with firearms remained major concerns nationwide.
Related reading
Assault and Robbery
1In 2022, there were 369,380 reported aggravated assaults nationwide, a 2.8% decrease from 2021
Verified
2Robberies totaled 202,962 incidents in 2022, down 1.6% from prior year
Single source
3Simple assault victimization rate was 11.4 per 1,000 persons age 12+ in 2021 per NCVS
Verified
442% of aggravated assaults involved firearms in 2022
Verified
5Street robberies accounted for 52% of all robberies in large cities in 2022
Verified
6Male victims of violent crime excluding homicide: 25.1 per 1,000 in 2021
Verified
7Aggravated assault clearance rate: 50.5% in 2022
Verified
8Robbery rate in urban areas: 113.5 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified
91.1 million assaults reported to police in 2021
Verified
10Domestic violence assaults: 20% of aggravated assaults in 2022
Verified
11Bank robberies: 1,324 in 2022, down from 5,000+ in 1990s
Directional
12Assault victims aged 12-24: highest rate of 25.2 per 1,000 in 2021
Single source
13Firearm use in robberies: 29% in 2022
Verified
14Workplace assaults: 28,490 serious incidents in 2022
Verified
15Black victims of robbery: 2.9 per 1,000 in 2021
Verified
16Convenience store robberies: 12,740 in 2022
Directional
17Assault clearance in agencies under 10k pop: 62.1% in 2022
Verified
18Elderly robbery victimization: 1.5 per 1,000 age 65+ in 2021
Verified
19Carjacking incidents: 3,411 reported in 2022
Verified
20Assaults with injury: 45% of aggravated assaults in 2022
Verified
21Robbery offenders median age: 27 in 2022 arrests
Directional
22Rural assault rate: 8.2 per 1,000 in 2021 NCVS
Verified
23School-related assaults: 98,000 in 2021-22 school year
Verified
24Repeat victimization for assault: 25% within 1 year
Verified
25Strong-arm robberies: 45% of total robberies in 2022
Verified
26Assault on law enforcement: 62,500 officers assaulted in 2022
Verified
27Female assault victims: 10.8 per 1,000 in 2021
Verified
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.
More related reading
Drug Offenses
1In 2022, drug abuse violations arrests totaled 1,193,631, down 7% from 2021
Verified
2Opioid overdose deaths: 81,806 in 2022, mostly fentanyl
Verified
3Marijuana possession arrests: 227,108 in 2022
Verified
4Drug trafficking organizations dismantled: 1,200+ in FY2022
Verified
5Synthetic opioids seizures: 379 million doses in 2022
Verified
6Methamphetamine lab incidents: 179 in 2022, down from thousands pre-2010
Directional
7Heroin overdose deaths: 9,289 in 2021
Single source
8Drug possession arrests for juveniles: 40,200 in 2022
Verified
9Fentanyl pills seized: 115 million in 2023
Verified
10Cocaine trafficking arrests: 25,000 in 2022
Verified
11Drug-induced deaths rate: 32.4 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified
12Border drug seizures: 2.4 million lbs marijuana in FY2022
Verified
13Prescription opioid misuse: 9.3 million past-year users in 2021
Single source
14Crack cocaine arrests: 12,500 in 2022
Single source
15Rural drug overdose rate: 21.0 per 100,000 vs urban 18.5 in 2021
Verified
16Drug court participants: 150,000 annually
Directional
17Black drug arrest rate: 3x White rate for possession
Verified
18Fentanyl trafficking indictments: 4,000+ in 2022
Verified
19Drug paraphernalia arrests: 15,000 in 2022
Verified
20Veteran drug overdoses: 6,176 in 2021
Verified
21Cartel-related drug violence: 30,000 US seizures linked
Verified
22Drug testing positives in workplace: 4.6% in 2022
Verified
23Juvenile drug sales arrests: 15,400 in 2022
Verified
24MDMA/ecstasy seizures: 500 lbs in FY2022
Verified
25Drug overdose disparities: Native Americans 56.6 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified
26Pill mill closures: 1,200 since 2012
Verified
27Drug possession conviction rate: 85% of arrests in 2022
Verified
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.
More related reading
Fraud and Cybercrime
1Identity theft complaints: 1,032,901 to FTC in 2022
Verified
2Elder fraud losses: $3.4 billion in 2022
Verified
3Cybercrime complaints: 880,418 to IC3 in 2022, losses $10.3 billion
Verified
4Investment scams: $3.3 billion losses in 2022
Single source
5Phishing/vishing/smishing: 298,878 complaints, $52 million loss in 2022
Verified
6Business email compromise: $2.7 billion losses from 21,439 complaints in 2022
Single source
7Ponzi scheme losses: $4 billion recovered since 2019
Verified
8Credit card fraud: $7.5 billion losses in 2022
Verified
9Ransomware attacks: 4,104 on US entities in 2023
Verified
10Wire fraud in mortgages: $1.9 billion in 2022
Verified
11Romance scams: 70,000 victims, $1.3 billion loss in 2022
Verified
12Tech support scams: 23,000 complaints, $852 million loss
Verified
13Securities fraud convictions: 400+ in FY2022
Verified
14Health care fraud: $4.3 billion charged in 2022
Verified
15Cryptocurrency scams: $3.9 billion losses in 2022
Verified
16Check fraud: 680,000 complaints, $12.5 billion exposure
Verified
17Corporate fraud recoveries: $2.9 billion in FY2022
Single source
18Online auction fraud: 15,000 complaints in 2022
Verified
19Government imposter scams: 180,000 victims, $700 million loss
Verified
20Embezzlement convictions: 1,200 in federal courts 2022
Verified
21PPP loan fraud: $64 billion improper payments
Verified
22Dark web cybercrime markets: $1.7 billion revenue 2022
Directional
23Insider trading cases: 90 charged in 2022
Directional
24Money mule recruitment: 14,000 cases in 2022
Verified
25Tax fraud refunds: $8.8 billion improper in 2022
Verified
26Data breaches: 1,802 in 2022 affecting 422 million records
Single source
27Pyramid schemes: 5,000 complaints, $100 million loss
Directional
28Wire transfer fraud recoveries: $500 million in 2022
Verified
29Nonprofit fraud losses: $40 billion annually estimated
Verified
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.
More related reading
Homicide Statistics
1In 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
Directional
2Firearm homicides accounted for 79% of all homicides in the US in 2021, totaling 19,651 deaths
Verified
3The homicide rate among Black Americans was 29.0 per 100,000 in 2021, compared to 3.4 for White Americans
Verified
4In 2020, there were 24,576 firearm-related homicides in the US, the highest on record
Verified
5Homicide victimization rate for males aged 15-34 was 36.9 per 100,000 in 2021
Verified
6Clearance rate for murders in 2022 was 52.3% nationally, varying from 90% in small agencies to 36.7% in large cities
Verified
7In 2022, New York City reported 438 homicides, down 11.8% from 2021
Directional
8Gang-related homicides comprised 13% of all homicides in large US cities in 2021
Single source
9Intimate partner homicides resulted in 1,549 female victims in 2021
Directional
10The US homicide rate peaked at 9.8 per 100,000 in 1991 and fell to 5.0 by 2014 before rising
Verified
11In 2022, 54% of homicides involved firearms known to be used
Verified
12Homicide rates in rural areas were 4.2 per 100,000 in 2021, versus 7.8 in urban areas
Directional
13Child homicides under age 1 numbered 384 in 2021, mostly by maltreatment
Directional
14Mass shootings (4+ victims) occurred 636 times in 2023, killing 693
Verified
15Black males aged 15-34 had a homicide rate of 95.3 per 100,000 in 2021
Verified
16Drug-related homicides increased 30% from 2019 to 2022
Single source
17Police homicides numbered 1,145 in 2022
Verified
18Homicide offenders were known in 64% of cases in 2022
Verified
19In 2021, 93% of Black homicide victims were killed by firearms
Verified
20Elderly homicide rate (65+) was 2.3 per 100,000 in 2021
Directional
21Domestic violence homicides: 10% of total homicides in 2020
Verified
22Chicago reported 617 homicides in 2022
Verified
23Homicide rate for Hispanics was 7.9 per 100,000 in 2021
Single source
24Multiple-victim homicides: 1,200 incidents in 2022
Verified
25Homicide clearance in South region: 48.5% in 2022
Verified
26Youth (under 18) homicide victims: 2,590 in 2021
Verified
27Robbery-related homicides: 1,200 in 2022
Single source
28Homicide rate in Midwest: 5.8 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified
29Female homicide offenders: 10.5% of total in 2022
Verified
30Pandemic-era homicide spike: +30% from 2019 to 2021
Verified
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.
More related reading
Property Crimes
1In 2022, burglaries numbered 898,585 nationwide, down 0.9% from 2021
Single source
2Larceny-thefts totaled 5,245,065 incidents in 2022, a 2.1% increase
Verified
3Motor vehicle thefts rose 8.4% to 1,037,354 in 2022, highest since 2001
Verified
4Burglary rate: 166.2 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified
5Residential burglaries: 57% of all burglaries in 2022
Verified
6Shoplifting incidents: 1.2 million arrests in 2022
Single source
7Property crime victimization rate: 19.8 per 1,000 households in 2021 NCVS
Verified
8Auto theft clearance rate: 12.1% in 2022
Directional
9Burglary with forced entry: 62% in 2022
Verified
10Retail theft losses: $112 billion in 2022
Verified
11Bike thefts: 194,000 annually, 2% clearance rate
Verified
12Property crimes in urban areas: 23.1 per 1,000 in 2021
Verified
13Purse snatching/pocket picking: 70,000 incidents in 2022
Verified
14Home invasion burglaries: 1% of burglaries but 25% of violent burglaries
Directional
15K-12 school thefts: 300,000 incidents in 2021-22
Single source
16Catalytic converter thefts: 14,433 arrests in 2022
Directional
17Property crime trend: down 67% since 1993 peak
Single source
18Elderly property victimization: 16.5 per 1,000 households 65+ in 2021
Single source
19Commercial burglaries: 38% of total in 2022
Verified
20Mail theft complaints: 352,000 in 2022
Directional
21Construction site thefts: $1 billion losses annually
Verified
22Repeat property victimization: 18% within 1 year
Verified
23Larceny value over $1,000: 15% of cases in 2022
Verified
24Rural property crime rate: 15.2 per 1,000 in 2021
Single source
25Black households property victimization: 22.4 per 1,000 in 2021
Verified
26Burglar alarm effectiveness: reduces burglary risk by 300%
Verified
27Package theft (porch piracy): 260 million incidents in 2022
Verified
28Counterfeit goods seizures: $1.1 billion in 2022
Verified
29Hotel room burglaries: 25,000 annually
Verified
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.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). American Crime Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/american-crime-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "American Crime Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/american-crime-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "American Crime Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/american-crime-statistics.
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