WASHINGTON – The FBI documented a 29.4% increase in murders in the United States in 2020, the largest increase since this record has been kept in six decades, according to a report released Monday by the agency.
Despite overall crime declines last year, there were 4,901 more murders than in 2019.
However, the total of 21,570 murders in 2020 falls short of the records reached in the early 1990s, when it reached 25,000 in 1991.
In sum, there were 6.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020, 40% less than in the 1980s and 1990s.
On the other hand, violent crimes grew 5.6% last year and assaults 12%, while crimes against property decreased 7.8%.
Regarding the main cities of the country, in New York there were 500 murders in 2020 compared to 319 in 2019, although these figures are far from the worst year for the city, 1990, when more than 2,200 were counted.
In Chicago, there were 771 murders in 2020 compared to 500 the year before. Its most disastrous year was 1992, when 939 crimes of this type occurred.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles registered 351 murders last year, compared to 258 in 2019. The highest number of murders in this city occurred in 1980, when there were 1,010.
According to FBI data, most of the murders were perpetrated with firearms, 76% of the total, compared to 73% in 2019.
In addition, in terms of victims, 9,913 were African American in 2020; 7,029 white; 497 people of other races; and 315 of unknown race, according to the available data.
The text also indicates that 14,146 men and 3,573 women were murdered that year.
This FBI report is the most official source on the number of crimes in the United States, although its portrait of the situation in the country is incomplete.
The report is prepared with the data provided by the agencies in charge of law enforcement in the country, but they are not required to provide them.
In 2020, some 15,897 out of the more than 18,619 existing agencies sent their statistics to the FBI, representing an 85% share.
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