There were over 7.36 million arrests for all offenses in the United States in 2022. This figure is a decrease from 1990 levels, when the number of arrests was over 14.1 million.
Arrest rate in the U.S.
Along with the declining number of arrests, the arrest rate for all offenses in the United States has also decreased since 1990, from 5691.6 arrests per 100,000 of the population down to 2181.7 per 100,000. Additionally, South Dakota had the highest arrest rate in the country in 2022 while Massachusetts had the lowest.
High numbers of arrests and unsolved crimes
A high number of arrests does not necessarily correlate to a high number of solved cases, and in the U.S., many cases remain unsolved. The crime clearance rate, or rate of closed cases, was less than half for violent crimes in U.S., and less than 20 percent for property crimes.
Number of arrests for all offenses in the United States from 1990 to 2022
The number of arrests presented differ from other published numbers because of weighting. The weighting procedure calculates the proportion of all arrests attributable to an age group and multiplies this percentage by the total estimated number of arrests to determine an estimated count.
Due to the FBI's transition to a new crime reporting system in 2021, not all law enforcement agencies submitted crime data to the FBI. As a result, recent figures may not accurately reflect the total number of crimes.
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FBI. (October 16, 2023). Number of arrests for all offenses in the United States from 1990 to 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 10, 2024, from https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/191261/number-of-arrests-for-all-offenses-in-the-us-since-1990/
FBI. "Number of arrests for all offenses in the United States from 1990 to 2022." Chart. October 16, 2023. Statista. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/191261/number-of-arrests-for-all-offenses-in-the-us-since-1990/
FBI. (2023). Number of arrests for all offenses in the United States from 1990 to 2022. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 10, 2024. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/191261/number-of-arrests-for-all-offenses-in-the-us-since-1990/
FBI. "Number of Arrests for All Offenses in The United States from 1990 to 2022." Statista, Statista Inc., 16 Oct 2023, https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/191261/number-of-arrests-for-all-offenses-in-the-us-since-1990/
FBI, Number of arrests for all offenses in the United States from 1990 to 2022 Statista, https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/191261/number-of-arrests-for-all-offenses-in-the-us-since-1990/ (last visited November 10, 2024)
Number of arrests for all offenses in the United States from 1990 to 2022 [Graph], FBI, October 16, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/191261/number-of-arrests-for-all-offenses-in-the-us-since-1990/
