Friday, 3 July 2026, 10:59
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California recorded its lowest homicide rate in nearly six decades in 2025, according to official data released by the state Department of Justice. The report, unveiled by Attorney General Rob Bonta in San Francisco, shows across-the-board declines in violent and property crimes, marking a sharp reversal from the pandemic-era spike.
The 2025 California Crime Report shows that every major crime category fell compared to 2024. The homicide rate dropped 18.6% to 3.5 per 100,000 residents — the lowest since the state began tracking homicides in 1966. In raw numbers, homicides fell from 1,666 to 1,374, a 17.5% decrease.
Robbery rates declined 19.9%, violent crime overall fell 10.2%, and property crime dropped 14.3%. The steepest decline was in motor vehicle thefts, which plummeted 25.8%.
“The big takeaway is this: 2025 saw massive reductions in crime across the board,” Bonta said during a briefing. “We have record lows, and that’s worth taking a moment to applaud.”
In Los Angeles, preliminary data shows crime rates hit historic lows not seen since the 1960s. The city’s homicide rate fell to 5.9 per 100,000 people, its lowest since 1959. Homicides declined in three of the LAPD’s four bureaus, aided by a significant federal law enforcement presence during part of 2025.
One of the most striking findings was the improvement in homicide clearance rates — the percentage of cases where an arrest is made. The clearance rate rose from 55% in 2021 to 64% in 2024, and then jumped to 79% in 2025.
“The most surprising part of the 2025 crime data to me was the 15% increase in the homicide clearance rate,” said Magnus Lofstrom, policy director of criminal justice at the Public Policy Institute of California. “This is very encouraging, but it will be important to unpack the notable jump to determine what efforts led to the striking improvement.”
Officials credited smarter policing and multi-agency task forces targeting organized retail theft, human trafficking, and fentanyl distribution. “Our policing has gotten smarter, more organized, and more coordinated,” Bonta said.
While overall reported hate crime events fell 3.4% in 2025, hate crimes motivated by racial or ethnic bias increased 6.2%. Anti-Latino hate crimes surged 30.3%, with some incidents tied to hostility toward immigrants. Hate crimes based on gender bias also rose 23.8%.
“While the overall number of reported hate crime events decreased in 2025, the data makes clear that too many Californians continue to be targeted because of who they are,” Bonta said.
The statewide declines mirror national trends, with the FBI reporting the lowest homicide rates in recent U.S. history. In California, the recovery follows a 31% surge in homicides in 2020 and a further increase in 2021. The turning point came in 2022, and by 2024 the rate had fallen to 4.3 per 100,000.
Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted the role of state investments: “These results show that when we invest in our communities, support law enforcement, crack down on organized crime, and expand prevention and intervention efforts, we can save lives and improve public safety.”
California’s 2025 crime data paints a picture of historic progress, with record-low homicide rates, double-digit declines in property crime, and a sharp rise in case clearances. However, the persistent rise in anti-Latino hate crimes warns that not all safety metrics are improving. State leaders urge continued investment in data-driven policing and community programs to sustain these gains.
