A Justice Department survey released Monday found substantial declines in violent crime and property crime victimization in 2025, with the Trump administration crediting the decreases to its efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and gang violence.
The National Crime Victimization Survey, conducted annually by the Census Bureau and published by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, measures nonfatal crimes against individuals and households.
The survey’s 2025 estimates showed a 25% decline in violent crime victimization, excluding simple assault, representing an estimated 669,000 fewer incidents. Aggravated assault victimization fell 31%, or approximately 390,000 incidents, while robbery declined 27%, representing an estimated 172,000 fewer robberies.
Property crime victimization also dropped significantly. The survey estimated a 19% decline, equivalent to approximately 3.4 million fewer property crimes. Burglary and trespassing victimization fell 25%, or about 460,000 incidents, while motor vehicle theft declined 29%, representing an estimated 349,000 fewer stolen vehicles.
The Justice Department characterized the declines as historic, describing them as the largest single-year decreases in the survey’s history for the respective categories.
“This report is proof that President Trump’s ‘Make America Safe Again’ agenda is working,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said. “Under President Trump and Attorney General Blanche, the safety of law-abiding Americans will always come first. This success reinforces our commitment to ensuring every American can live, work, and raise a family without fear.”
Despite the downward trend in crime, the agency transitioned to a redesigned version of the survey in January 2025. Thus, the new estimates are not directly comparable to figures produced under the previous methodology, according to the DOJ’s statisticians.
The survey also provides a different measure of crime than FBI statistics, which primarily rely on offenses reported to law enforcement. By asking people directly about their experiences with crime, the DOJ said its survey captures incidents that may never reach police records.
The DOJ pointed to the difference between the survey’s estimates and FBI figures released earlier this year as evidence that crime is declining faster than reported statistics suggest. For example, the FBI’s crime statistics report said aggravated assaults declined 7.2%, compared with the 31% decrease in aggravated assault victimization reflected in the DOJ’s survey.
The administration also attributed the declines to its immigration enforcement policies, including the deportation of more than 400,000 illegal immigrants who had previously been charged with or convicted of crimes, according to the White House. Officials argued that stepped-up enforcement has also deterred criminal activity among those who remain in the country.
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Other efforts cited by the administration included increased action against drug trafficking, gun trafficking, and criminal gangs.
The survey interviewed 152,150 people in 2025, representing an unweighted response rate of 78% among eligible individuals in responding households.