What percentage of all major crimes are never reported to the police?

Asked by: Tyree Kiehn  |  Last update: June 11, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (5 votes)

In its annual survey, BJS asks crime victims whether they reported their crime to police. It found that in 2022, only 41.5% of violent crimes and 31.8% of household property crimes were reported to authorities.

What percentage of crimes are never reported?

First, understand that the vast majority of crimes in the US are not reported to law enforcement. Per the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the US Department of Justice, 42 percent of violent crimes are reported to law enforcement. Thirty-two percent of property crimes are reported to the police.

How many offenses are never reported to police?

The Appeal, a news organization which focuses on the criminal legal system, has also pointed out that 50% of violent crimes, and 70% of property crimes, are never reported to the police – meaning those crimes will be missed in the data.

What percentage of serious crimes go unreported to the police?

Although many cities rely on official law enforcement data to determine the magnitude, patterns, and prevention strategies for violence, data from the National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the US Department of Justice indicates that a large number (52.6%) of violent crimes resulting in injury goes unreported ...

Which crime is least likely to be reported to the police?

Answer Created with AI. Crimes that people are least likely to report are household larceny (25%), personal larceny when there is no contact with the thief (26%), and pocket-picking (29%). People might neglect to report such crimes because the degree of economic loss and personal harm is less.

Why are so many hate crimes never reported to police?

29 related questions found

What is the most common crime in the US?

Theft or larceny is the most common type of property crime. It's estimated that someone is a victim of theft every 5.5 seconds. The next most common crime is burglary, which involves breaking and entering.

What crime is the most unreported?

Rape is the most under-reported crime; 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to police (o). Only 12% of child sexual abuse is reported to the authorities (g). The prevalence of false reporting is between 2% and 10%.

What percent of murders go unsolved?

In 2022, more than 50 percent of violent crimes reported to law enforcement went unsolved in 38 states. And in 6 states, over two-thirds of all violent crime went unsolved. The percentage of violent crime that goes unsolved has increased from 58 percent in 2012 to 63 percent in 2022.

Which major crime has the highest clearance rate?

The major crime with the highest clearance rate is homicide, which refers to the percentage of reported crimes that are solved or closed by law enforcement.

What state has the worst crime rate?

1. Alaska. The most dangerous state in the US is Alaska, having the highest combined violent and property crime rate out of any state. Out of a population of 736,081, Alaska's crime rate was 32.14 per 1,000 people in 2022, making it the state with the highest crime rate.

What year had the highest crime rate in the US?

Reported violent crime rate in the United States

In the timeline above, rates are shown starting in 1990. The rate of reported violent crime has fallen since a high of 758.20 reported crimes in 1991 to a low of 363.6 reported violent crimes in 2014.

What city has the most unsolved murders?

The unsolved homicide rate is over 55 percent in six cities: Chicago, Buffalo, Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans, and Stockton. For more than 50 percent of all murders in these cities, no one is arrested for the crime.

What states have the most murders?

Number of murders in the U.S. 2023, by state

California reported the largest number of homicides to the FBI in 2023, at 1,929 for the year. Texas recorded the second-highest number of murders, with 1,845 for the year.

What is the clearance rate in crime?

Clearance statistics measurethe proportion of reported crimes that were resolved by an arrest or other, exceptional means (e.g., death of the offender, unwillingness of the victim to cooperate). A single arrest may result in many clearances.

What percent of crimes are not reported?

In its annual survey, BJS asks crime victims whether they reported their crime to police. It found that in 2022, only 41.5% of violent crimes and 31.8% of household property crimes were reported to authorities.

Are many crimes never reported to the police?

The 2022 NCVS survey estimates that only about 4 in 10 violent crimes, and 3 in 10 property crimes, were reported to police in 2022. Estimates for 2021 were roughly the same. NCVS asks about nonfatal crimes against persons age 12 or older. The count includes crimes reported to the police, as well as those that are not.

Who has the worst crime rate in the world?

  1. Venezuela. Venezuela has a crime index of 82.1, the highest of any country in the world. ...
  2. Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea has a crime index of 80.4. ...
  3. Afghanistan. Afghanistan has the third-highest crime rate. ...
  4. Haiti. ...
  5. South Africa. ...
  6. Honduras. ...
  7. Trinidad and Tobago. ...
  8. Syria.

What US city has the most murders?

Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago and its metropolitan area, had 929 homicides in 2022 — the most in the nation.

Which age group commits the most crimes?

Those aged 25 were more likely to commit violent crimes than any other age group, with a total of 698,368 across the US. 17 and 16-year-olds were second and third most likely. Those at 21 years old were most likely to be a victim of violent crime.

What is the most common felony in the United States?

By far, one of the most common felonies in the United States is drug crimes. Whether this is possession or trafficking, any time you are discovered with illegal, controlled substances, you will likely face a felony.

Which crimes go unreported the most?

According to the American Medical Association (1995), sexual violence, and rape in particular, is considered the most under-reported violent crime. Common reasons for individuals not reporting crime include fear of not being believed, insecurity, and fear of getting into trouble.

What is the most difficult crime to investigate?

Burglary is probably the most difficult to solve because its perpetrators do not have a motive that makes the victim's identity relevant. In most cases, they will elect to steal from an unoccupied home or dwelling, which may leave few, if any, witnesses.

What is the least serious offense?

There are 3 types of criminal charges, infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies. Infractions: Infractions are the least serious type of crime. Infractions, like speeding tickets, are usually handled in traffic court. Someone convicted only of an infraction cannot be punished with jail time.