The reported rate of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter may be the lowest since reliable national data began to be collected in 1960. Jeremy Hogan/Photodisc via Getty Images The murder rate in 2025 was the lowest in modern American history. Preliminary data shows the murder rate fell nearly 20% from 2024, likely making it the lowest rate since reliable national data began to be collected in 1960. Why was the murder rate so low? I’m a professor of sociology and criminology who studies crime t