The number of murders in the U.S. increased at a slower pace in 2021 compared to the previous year, according to FBI data released on Wednesday.
The FBI estimated that the number of murders rose by 4.3 percent, from 22,000 in 2020 to 22,900 in 2021.
The bureau said that this trend is not considered statistically significant and its “overall message is that crime remained consistent” last year.
Murder rates surged by nearly 30 percent between 2019 and 2020, with violent crime rising amid the pandemic. And while cases remain at elevated levels, the FBI estimated the 2021 rise to be much slower compared to the previous year.
The bureau noted on Wednesday that it recently transitioned to a new system for its data collection, and some major police jurisdictions — such as New York and Los Angeles — are not yet participating, NBC News reported. As a result, 2021’s data relied more heavily on estimation.
Violent crime overall decreased slightly last year — from 1,326,000 in 2020 to 1,313,200 in 2021 — coming largely from an 8.9 percent decrease in the nationwide robbery rate, the FBI noted in its press release.