Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.
Independent, verifiable crime statistics (e.g., the cited report or official FBI/municipal data) confirm that the murder rate in the nation’s largest cities for the referenced year is the lowest since at least 1900 and that year-to-year change is the largest on record.
The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) analysis of monthly data from 40 large U.S. cities (35 cities reporting homicides) found a 21% decline in homicides from 2024 to 2025 (about 922 fewer homicides in the 35-city sample) and said that, if nationwide trends mirror the sample, the national homicide rate could fall to roughly 4.0 per 100,000 — “the lowest rate recorded in law enforcement or public health data going back to 1900” — and would represent the largest single‑year percentage drop on record. Major outlets (Axios, AP, NYT, CBS) reported the CCJ findings. Verdict: True — the new CCJ report and multiple reputable news organizations made the claims quoted, but CCJ frames the “lowest since 1900” and “largest one‑year drop” as likely/probable based on its sample and projection; final confirmation awaits full nationwide data (FBI/CDC) later in 2026.