Overview

Long term trends

Homicide rates recently declined to levels last seen in the late 1960's

• Homicide victimization rates, 1950-2005
• Number of homicides, 1950-2005
  

Demographic trends

Age

Older teens and young adults have the highest homicide victimization and offending rates

• Homicide victimization rates by age, 1976-2005
• Homicide offending rates by age, 1976-2005
• Average age of homicide victims and offenders, 1976-2005
• Homicide victimization rates by age, 1980-2004, an animation
• Homicide offending rates by age, 1980-2004, an animation
• Percent of homicides in which the offender was known to the victim, 1976-2005 aggregate

- Infanticide

The number of homicides of children under age 5 increased through the mid 1990's, but declined recently

• The number of homicides of children under age 5 by race, 1976-2005
• Homicide victimization rates for children under age 5 by race, 1976-2005
• The number of homicides of children under age 5 by age of victim, 1976-2005
• Homicides of children under age 5 by relationship to the offender, 1976-2005
• Homicides of children under age 5 by gender of victim and offender, 1976-2005

- Eldercide

• Homicides of persons age 65 and older by gender of victim, 1976-2005
• Homicide victimization and offending rates for persons age 65 and older, 1976-2005
• Percent of homicides committed during a felony by age of victim, 1976-2005 aggregate

Gender

Most victims and perpetrators in homicides are male

• Homicide victimization rates by gender, 1976-2005
• Homicide offending rates by gender, 1976-2005

Race

Racial differences exist, with blacks disproportionately represented among homicide victims and offenders

• Homicide victimization rates by race, 1976-2005
• Homicide offending rates by race, 1976-2005
• Homicides by race of victim and offender, 1976-2005
• Stranger and acquaintance homicides by race of victim and offender, 1976-2005

Age, gender, and race

• Homicide victimization rates by age, gender, and race, 1976-2005
• Homicide offending rates by age, gender, and race, 1976-2005
• Young males as a proportion of the population, homicide victims, and homicide offenders by race,
  1976-2005
  

Victim/offender relationship

Most homicides with known victim/offender relationships involved people who knew each other

• The number of homicides by victim/offender relationship, 1976-2005
• The number of homicides by victim/offender relationship and weapon use, 1976-2005

- Intimates

• Homicides of intimates by gender of victim, 1976-2005
• Homicides of intimates by gender and race of victim, 1976-2005
• Proportion of all homicides involving intimates by gender of victim, 1976-2005
• Number of homicides of intimates by relationship of the victim to the offender, 1976-2005
• Intimate homicide rates by race, gender and relationship, 1976-2005
• Intimate homicides by type of weapon and gender of victim, 1976-2005

- Family

• Family homicides by relationship, 1976-2005
• Family homicides by relationship and race of victim,, 1976-2005
• Number of homicides of parents by gender of victim and offender and age of offender, 1976-2005
• Number of homicides of siblings by gender of victim and offender and age of offender, 1976-2005

Law enforcement officers

The number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty has declined since the early 1970's

• Law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, 1973-2005
• Law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty by weapon type, 1973-2005
  

Multiple victims and offenders

Few homicides involve multiple offenders and fewer involve multiple victims

• Percent of homicides involving multiple offenders or multiple victims, 1976-2005
• Percent of homicides involving multiple victims by number of victims, 1976-2005
• Percent of homicides involving multiple offenders by age of offender, 1976-2005
• Percent of homicides involving guns by number of victims, 1976-2005

Circumstances

The mix of circumstances surrounding homicides has changed over the last two decades

• Number of homicides by circumstance, 1976-2005
• Percent of homicides involving guns by circumstance, 1976-2005

Weapons trends

Homicides are most often committed with guns,
especially handguns

• Homicides by weapon type, 1976-2005
• Homicide offending by weapon type and age of offender, 1976-2005
• Percent of homicides involving guns by age of victim, 1976-2005 aggregate

Regional trends

In recent years, all regions have experienced a decline in homicide rates

• Homicide victimization rates by region, 1976-2005
• Gun homicide victimization rates by region, 1976-2005
• Teen homicide offending rates by region, 1976-2005

Trends by city size

Changes in homicide trends have been driven by changes in the number of homicides in large American cities

• Number of homicides in urban, suburban, and rural areas, 1976-2005
• Homicide victimization rates by size of city, 1976-2005
• Homicide offending rates by size of city, 1976-2005
• Percent of all homicides involving intimates by urban, suburban, and rural area, 1976-2005

Clearances

The percentage of homicides cleared by arrest has been declining

• Percent of homicides cleared by arrest, 1976-2005
• Percent of homicides cleared by age of victim, 1976-2005 aggregate

Justifiable homicides

The number of justifiable homicides has been declining

• Number of justifiable homicides by police and citizens, 1976-2005
• Number of justifiable homicides by police and citizens by circumstance, 1976-2005
• Percent of justifiable homicides by police and citizens by age of victim, 1976-2005 aggregate

Additional information about the data
Data sources, methodology, and related sites