By James Alan Fox, BJS Visiting Fellow and 

The Lipman Family Professor of Criminal Justice, 

Northeastern University

and

Marianne W. Zawitz, BJS Statistician

Homicide rates recently declined to levels last seen in

the late 1960's. The Nation's homicide rate was 4.6

per 100,000 population in 1950. It doubled from the 

mid-1960's to the late 1970's. In 1980 it peaked at

10.2 and fell to 7.9 in 1985. It rose again in the late

1980's and early 1990's to another peak of 9.8 in

1991. After 1991 the homicide rate declined sharply.

In recent years the decline has slowed. The Nation's

murder rate was 5.5 in 2000 compared to 5.7 in 1999.

These findings and many more are from Homicide

Trends in the United States, a section of the BJS web

site that describes homicide patterns and trends in

the United States since 1976. The site displays 50

graphics and supporting tables updated with the 2000

data. Homicide is of interest not only because of its

severity but also because it is considered by experts

to be a fairly reliable barometer of violent crime. At a

national level, no other crime is measured as

accurately and precisely.

For teens and young adults, homicide victimization

rates exploded in the late 1980’s but fell dramatically

after 1993. During the same period, rates for older

people declined. From 1999 to 2000, rates for adults

ages 25-34 increased slightly while the rates for all

other age groups declined slightly. 

The homicide rates for teens reflect a reversal from

dramatic increases in the early 1990’s. From 1976 to

Homicide rates recently declined to levels last

seen in the late 1960's

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

0

5

10

Rate per 100,000 population

Homicide victimization, 1950-2000

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/homtrnd.htm

Homicide Trends in the

United States: 2000 Update

January 2003 NCJ 197471

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Crime Data Brief

Victimization rates for teens and young adults

increased dramatically in the late 1980's while

rates for older age groups declined

18-24

14-17

25-34

35-49

50+

Under 14

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0

10

20

Rate per 100,000 population

Age

Homicide victimization by age, 1976-2000

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs
1985, the rates for young teens

(ages 14-17) were below those for all

older age groups. After 1995 they

rose to exceed the rates for persons

age 35 or older. They have now

fallen back to levels below those of

persons ages 35-49 — levels similar

to those from 1976 to 1985 —

reversing one of the most dramatic

trends in homicide victimization.

The sharp increase in homicides in

the late 1980’s and much of the

subsequent decline were attributable

to a rise and fall in gun violence by

teens and young adults. Despite the

moderation since 1993, the levels of

gun homicides by teens and young

adults remain well above those of the

mid-1980's.

Other major findings— 

Gender

Males are most often the victims and

the perpetrators in homicides: males

were 10 times more likely than

females to commit murder, and male and female

offenders were more likely to target male than female

victims.

Race

Blacks were 6 times more likely to be homicide

victims and 7 times more likely than whites to commit

homicides in 2000.

Eighty-six percent of white murder victims were killed

by whites, and 94% of black victims were killed by

blacks.

Among homicides in which the victim was killed by an

acquaintance, 1 in 10 were interracial, whereas when

the killer is a stranger, 3 in 10 were interracial.

Age, race, and gender

There were dramatic increases in both homicide

victimization and offending rates among young black

males in the late 1980’s and 1990’s before recent

declines in both categories.

From 1999 to 2000, older teens and young adults and

older adults from all race and gender groups were no

longer experiencing double digit declines in homicide

rates. The rates for older black males and older teen

and young adult black females increased slightly. The

offending rates displayed similar patterns. 

Infanticide

The number of infanticides (victims under age 5) has

grown roughly in proportion to the number of young

children in the population, with most perpetrators

being a parent.

2 Homicide Trends in the United States: 2000 Update

Most children under age 5 who are victims 

of homicide are killed by a parent 

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0%

25%

50%

75%

Percent

Homicides of children under age 5 by

relationship with the offender, 1976-2000

Parent

Friend or

 acquaintance

Unknown

Other family

Stranger

Gun homicides by teens and young adults rose sharply 

beginning with the mid-1980's and have fallen since 1993

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0

2,500

5,000

7,500

10,000

Number of homicide offenders

Homicide offending by age of offender and weapon use, 1976-2000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0

2,500

5,000

7,500

10,000

Number of homicide offenders

Ages 14-17 Ages 18-24

Gun

Nongun

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0

2,500

5,000

7,500

10,000

Number of homicide offenders

Ages 25+

Gun

Nongun

Gun

Nongun

New! State and local homicide trends and

characteristics from Crime & Justice Data

Online. Create customized tables by State since 1976 or

by large localities since 1985.

www/ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/dataonline/
Eldercide

The number of homicides of persons age 65 and over

has been decreasing. Yet among all age groups, the

elderly have the highest percentage of homicides that

occur during the commission of a felony.

Intimate homicide

There has been a decline in homicide of intimates,

especially male victims. The number of white females

killed by intimates rose in the mid-1980's and

declined after 1993. Since 1998 the number of white

women killed by intimates has increased but has not

reached earlier levels. The number of intimate

homicides for all other race and gender groups

declined over the period; black males killed by

intimates dropped 77%, white males by 54%, and

black females by 53%. 

Law enforcement officers killed

From 1976 to 2000, the number of law enforcement

officers killed in the line of duty declined, mostly

because of the decline in law enforcement officers

killed with handguns.

Multiple victims and offenders

Few homicides involve multiple offenders, and fewer

involve multiple victims. The percentage of homicides

involving multiple offenders increased dramatically 

in the late 1980's and early 1990's, from 10% in 1976

to almost 18% in 2000. The percentage of homicides

involving multiple victims increased gradually during

the last two decades from just under 3% of all

homicides in 1976 to 4% in 2000. 

Circumstances

The mix of circumstances surrounding homicides has

changed over the last two decades. Although the

number of homicides resulting from arguments has

declined, arguments remain the most frequently cited

circumstance.

City size

The homicide victimization rates in cities with a

population of 1 million or more have declined to 

the lowest level during the study period. In the late

1990’s, the rates of homicide for cities in all groups of

250,000 or more population were about the same.

Most of the swings in the prevalence of homicide

during the past two decades occurred in cities with a

population of 100,000 or more and in suburbs. Small

cities and rural areas experienced relatively little

change in homicide prevalence. 

Region

Compared to the national average, homicide rates,

especially those involving guns, were higher in the

South and lower in New England, the Mountain

region, and the West North Central region of the

United States.

Clearances

The number of homicides cleared by arrest of the

perpetrator declined until recently: 63% of all

homicides were cleared in 2000 compared to 79% in

1976.

Homicide Trends in the United States: 2000 Update 3

The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency 

of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence A. Greenfeld 

is director. 

This report was written by James Alan Fox, BJS Visiting Fellow, and Marianne W. Zawitz of BJS. Ms. Zawitz

produced the report, and Rhonda Keith verified the data.

Jayne Robinson reviewed and prepared the report for

printing.

January 2003, NCJ 179767

Until recently, changes in homicide rates for

large American cities varied by size

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0

25

50

Rate per 100,000

One million +

500,000-999,999

250,000-499,999

100,000-249,999

City size

Homicide victimization rates for cities

over 100,000 population, 1976-2000

Except for white females, the number of intimate

victims (husbands, wives, boyfriends, and

girlfriends) in each race and gender group has

fallen dramatically 

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

Number of victims

Black female

White female

White male

Black male

Homicides of intimates by gender and race

of victim, 1976-2000
Organized for easy access, this section of the BJS

website contains graphics, text, and data concerning

various aspects of homicide:

Long term trends 

Demographic trends by —

Age 

Gender 

Race 

Age, gender, and race 

Trends in special groups —

Infanticide

Eldercide

Intimates 

Law enforcement officers 

Multiple victims and offenders 

Circumstances 

Weapons trends 

Regional trends 

Trends by city size 

Clearances

The data for each of the 50 graphics are provided

and linked to a spreadsheet which can be

downloaded. Links to other web resources on

homicide and violent crime are included.

The site analyzes data collected by the Federal

Bureau of Investigation through the Uniform Crime

Reporting Program. Most of the data are from the

Supplementary Homicide Reports and are adjusted

for missing reports and unsolved cases. The data

files are available from the National Archive of

Criminal Justice Data 

(www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/index.html). 

Paper copies of the materials on the Internet site

may be ordered by contacting the BJS

Clearinghouse at 1-800-732-3277: "Homicide Trends

in the United States” website, NCJ 197471,

US$15.00 / FOR$16.50 postage and handling.

Homicide Trends in the United States — www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/homtrnd.htm

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Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Washington, DC 20531

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