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Key Facts at a Glance
Violent crime trends
National Crime Victimization Survey Violent Crime Trends, 1973-2008
| Total
violent crime |
Aggravated assault | Simple assault |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Murder | Rape | Robbery | ||||
| 1973 | 47.7 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 6.7 | 12.5 | 25.9 | |
| 1974 | 48.0 | 0.1 | 2.6 | 7.2 | 12.9 | 25.3 | |
| 1975 | 48.4 | 0.1 | 2.4 | 6.8 | 11.9 | 27.2 | |
| 1976 | 48.0 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 6.5 | 12.2 | 27.0 | |
| 1977 | 50.4 | 0.1 | 2.3 | 6.2 | 12.4 | 29.4 | |
| 1978 | 50.6 | 0.1 | 2.6 | 5.9 | 12.0 | 30.0 | |
| 1979 | 51.7 | 0.1 | 2.8 | 6.3 | 12.3 | 30.3 | |
| 1980 | 49.4 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 6.6 | 11.4 | 28.8 | |
| 1981 | 52.3 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 7.4 | 12.0 | 30.3 | |
| 1982 | 50.7 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 7.1 | 11.5 | 29.8 | |
| 1983 | 46.5 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 6.0 | 9.9 | 28.3 | |
| 1984 | 46.4 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 5.8 | 10.8 | 27.2 | |
| 1985 | 45.2 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 5.1 | 10.3 | 27.9 | |
| 1986 | 42.0 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 5.1 | 9.8 | 25.3 | |
| 1987 | 44.0 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 5.3 | 10.0 | 26.7 | |
| 1988 | 44.1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 5.3 | 10.8 | 26.3 | |
| 1989 | 43.3 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 5.4 | 10.3 | 25.8 | |
| 1990 | 44.1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 5.7 | 9.8 | 26.9 | |
| 1991 | 48.8 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 5.9 | 9.9 | 30.6 | |
| 1992 | 47.9 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 6.1 | 11.1 | 28.9 | |
| 1993 | 49.1 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 6.0 | 12.0 | 29.4 | |
| 1994 | 51.2 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 6.3 | 11.9 | 31.5 | |
| 1995 | 46.1 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 5.4 | 9.5 | 29.9 | |
| 1996 | 41.6 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 8.8 | 26.6 | |
| 1997 | 38.8 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 4.3 | 8.6 | 24.9 | |
| 1998 | 36.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 4.0 | 7.5 | 23.5 | |
| 1999 | 32.1 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 20.8 | |
| 2000 | 27.4 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 5.7 | 17.8 | |
| 2001 | 24.7 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 5.3 | 15.9 | |
| 2002 | 22.8 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 15.5 | |
| 2003 | 22.3 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 4.6 | 14.6 | |
| 2004 | 21.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 4.3 | 14.2 | |
| 2005 | 21.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 4.3 | 13.5 | |
| 2006a | |||||||
| 2007 | 20.4 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 13.9 | |
| 2008 | 19.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 12.9 | |
| 2009 | 16.9 | 1.1b | 0.3 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 11.3 | |
Note: 1973-91 data adjusted to make data comparable to data after the
redesign. Estimates for 1993 and beyond are based on collection year while
earlier estimates are based on data year. Rape does not include sexual
assault. For additional information about the methods used, see Criminal Victimization, 2009.
*Victimization rate trends exclude NCVS estimates for 2006 because
of methodological inconsistencies between the data for that year and
the data for other years. Changes to the NCVS and their impact upon
the survey's estimates in 2006 are discussed in the Criminal Victimization, 2006 Technical Notes.
Homicide data were calculated from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports.