What are the most common crimes in the United States? - Criminal Justice Degree Hub (2024)

Have you ever wondered what are the most common crimes in the United States? According to statistics obtained from the FBI, a property crime was reported about every three seconds in the U.S., and a violent crime was reported about every 22 seconds. Those are sobering statistics. Contrary to what most people think, property crimes are by far the most reported crimes in the United States, not violent crimes; property crimes are about ten times more prevalent than violent crimes. Property crimes reported annually total more than ten million, while violent crimes hover somewhere between 1 and 1 1/2 million each year.

1. Larceny / Theft

Larceny-theft hits the top of the crime list, far outweighing any other crime. The numbers of larceny-theft in this country are staggering – more than 7 million reported each year, making up almost sixty percent of all reported crimes.

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2. Burglary

The next most prevalent crime is burglary, another property crime. Burglary reports total around 2 million each year, making up about 18 percent of all crimes reported.

3. Motor Vehicle Theft

Thieves do a thriving business in stolen cars, apparently – there are more than a million stolen cars in the U.S. every year. Car theft accounts for more than ten percent of all reported crimes annually in the United States.

4. Aggravated Assault

Violent crime comes into the top 5 most common crimes in the United States at number four on the list. According to Princeton.edu, aggravated assault is defined as an attack with intent to cause grave injury to another, and can involve a weapon. With or without a weapon, aggravated assault accounts for about 7 percent of all reported crimes.

5. Robbery

The robbery comes in at number five on the top five most common crimes in the United States. Robbery is not simple theft – it is a violent crime, and theft performed directly on a person or place. If you are ever mugged, that is robbery. A stick-up of a grocery or liquor store clerk is robbery. There are close to half a million robberies each year in the United States, and they account for about 3 percent of all crimes.

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What are the most common crimes in the United States? - Criminal Justice Degree Hub (2024)

FAQs

What are the most common crimes in the United States? - Criminal Justice Degree Hub? ›

By far the most common form of property crime in 2022 was larceny/theft, followed by motor vehicle theft and burglary. Among violent crimes, aggravated assault was the most common offense, followed by robbery, rape, and murder/nonnegligent manslaughter.

What is the most common crime in the United States? ›

Which kinds of crime are most and least common? Property crime in the U.S. is much more common than violent crime. In 2019, the FBI reported a total of 2,109.9 property crimes per 100,000 people, compared with 379.4 violent crimes per 100,000 people.

What are the top 10 crimes in the world? ›

The top 10 common crimes in the world incorporate theft, thievery, burglary, attack, misrepresentation, defacing, drug-related offenses, cybercrime, crime, and aggressive behavior at home.

Which of the following is the most common criminal offense? ›

Five Most Common Criminal Offenses
  • #1: Violent Crimes. When physical harm is threatened or inflicted on an individual, it is considered a violent crime. ...
  • #2: Drug Offenses. ...
  • #3: Crimes Related to Alcohol. ...
  • #4: Property Crimes. ...
  • #5: Fraud. ...
  • Our Criminal Defense Team Will Fight for You.
Dec 8, 2021

Who commits the most crimes in the United States? ›

Males accounted for 80.1 percent of persons arrested for violent crimes and for 62.6 percent of persons arrested for property crimes. Males comprised 88.7 percent of persons arrested for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in 2012.

What are the top 5 most common crimes? ›

By far the most common form of property crime in 2022 was larceny/theft, followed by motor vehicle theft and burglary. Among violent crimes, aggravated assault was the most common offense, followed by robbery, rape, and murder/nonnegligent manslaughter.

What are the 7 most common criminal offenses in the US? ›

Top 7 Most Common Crimes in the United States
  • Property Crime. Another of the commonest crimes in the United States is property crime. ...
  • Robbery. Robbery is a leading crime in the United States. ...
  • Burglary. One of the most frequently committed crimes in the US is burglary. ...
  • Murder. ...
  • Sexual Assault. ...
  • Drug Possession.
Dec 15, 2022

What are the top 10 most common crimes in the US? ›

Top 20 Most Common Crimes in the United States
  • Drug Abuse and Trafficking. Drug abuse and trafficking involve the illegal possession, distribution, and sale of drugs. ...
  • Assault. Assault is a violent crime that involves intentional or reckless bodily harm to another person. ...
  • DUI/DWI. ...
  • Burglary. ...
  • Theft. ...
  • Fraud. ...
  • Robbery. ...
  • Embezzlement.
Mar 3, 2023

What are the 10 biggest crimes against humanity? ›

These acts consist of murder; annihilation; enslavement; bondage; forced removal of the population; imprisonment or deprivation of physical liberty that violates international laws; maltreatment; forced prostitution and rape; discrimination and tyranny against certain groups; apartheid (racial discrimination and ...

Which are the major crimes? ›

A major crime is a serious offense that can result in imprisonment for more than one year or even death. Examples of major crimes include burglary, arson, rape, and murder. These crimes are also known as felonies. Lesser crimes are called misdemeanors.

What type of offence is most common? ›

In 2022, property crime was the most common type of crime committed in the United States, with over 6.51 million offenses reported to the FBI.

What country has the most crime? ›

Venezuela has a crime index of approx 83.76, the highest of any country in the world. Caracas, the capital, has faced issues such as robbery, kidnapping, and street violence.

Are most crimes federal or state? ›

Most misdemeanor charges are state crimes. Common examples of federal criminal charges include tax evasion, terrorism, and those levied by the IRS. Other federal criminal charges can include robbery, mail fraud, bank fraud, and theft from emails.

What ethnicity has a higher crime rate? ›

The Hispanic population has been increasing rapidly and Hispanics have violence rates higher than that of whites but lower than that of blacks. Other data suggests a genuine decline in racial disparities in recent years.

What age group commits the most crimes? ›

Adults between the ages of 25 and 34 experienced the greatest number of arrests compared to other age groups (32 percent), while adults between the ages of 18 and 24 were the most likely to be arrested for violent crime.

What is the most powerful organized crime group in the United States? ›

It also estimated that the Genovese family consists of about 270 "made" members. The family maintains power and influence in New York, New Jersey, Atlantic City and Florida. It is recognized as the most powerful Mafia family in the U.S., a distinction brought about by their continued devotion to secrecy.

Which 3 states have the highest crime rate? ›

Alaska has the highest crime rate in the United States, with 867.1 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2020. Following Alaska, the state with the second highest crime rate is New Mexico, with 856.6 reported incidents per 100,000 residents.

What is America's safest city? ›

WalletHub released a 2023 report listing the safest cities in the US. Cities were ranked based on 41 indicators of safety, including rates of crime and natural disasters. Nashua, New Hampshire, scored the highest, followed by Columbia, Maryland.

Does the US have the highest crime? ›

Although overall crime rates have fallen far below the peak of crime seen in the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the homicide rate in the U.S. has remained high, relative to other "high income"/developed nations, with eight major U.S. cities ranked among the 50 cities with the highest homicide rate ...

Where does US rank in crime? ›

Key findings from the data:
  • Globally, Venezuela tops the chart, recording the highest Crime Index of 83.76 in 2022. ...
  • Despite being one of the world's most developed countries, the United States ranks 52nd, with a Crime Index of 47.81.

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