logo
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Have overall crime rates increased during the COVID-19 pandemic?

By EconoFact
View this fact brief on EconoFact
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
NO

A survey of crime rates in 25 of the largest U.S. cities shows that crime rates declined by 23% in the first month of the COVID lockdown and rates remained below the five-year average for the remainder of the year.

This is not true for all types of crime, however. For example, home burglaries declined, but burglaries of commercial establishments and car thefts rose. Drug crimes decreased by the most in this survey (65%) but some of this might reflect less stringent enforcement. Beginning in June 2020, rates of homicides and shootings began to rise. Homicide rates in large cities were up more than 30% on average in 2020, and roughly 25% overall, as compared to 2019. Large cities saw a further 24% increase in early 2021 over their rates during the same period in 2020.

See a full discussion of this at EconoFact
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
AH Datalytics 2021 year-to-date murder comparison
New York Times With Homicides Rising, Cities Brace for a Violent Summer
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
EconoFact
EconoFact is a non-partisan publication designed to bring key facts and incisive analysis to the national debate on economic and social policies. Launched in January 2017, it is written by leading academic economists from across the country who belong to the EconoFact Network. It is published by the Edward R. Murrow Center for a Digital World at The Fletcher School at Tufts University.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.