Violent crime fell 3 percent last year in the U.S., which saw its biggest drop in homicides in 20 years, but the number of hate crimes rose, the FBI said in its annual report released today.

This report includes data from more than 16,000 state and local law enforcement agencies.

According to the federal police, murders (not including manslaughter) fell 11.6 percent in 2023, while reported rapes fell by about 9.4 percent.

The drop in violent crime belies claims made by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, about the Biden administration’s record on crime and safety. He has also claimed, without evidence, that immigrants crossing the border illegally are responsible for the rise in violent crime.

President Biden, in a statement, hailed the decrease in violent crime, recalling that the administration has invested in public safety.

“Although we have made great progress, we are not stopping now,” said Vice President Harris, who is a former U.S. Attorney.

“I am committed to continuing our work supporting local law enforcement, investing in proven crime prevention techniques (…) and tackling gun violence with common sense laws.“, he added.

Trump has said that if re-elected he would institute the death penalty for human traffickers and drug dealers. He has also said he doesn’t believe federal statistics, such as the FBI report that shows violent crime is down. Agency officials declined to comment when asked by reporters about Trump’s claims, but noted that the agency’s methodology is consistent.

Earlier this year, the Pew Research Center studied crime in the US using two different data sets from the Department of Justice. It found that violent crime fell by 49% from 1993 to 2022. However, it rose sharply during the pandemic, with murders recording the highest one-year increase.

As for hate crimes, in 2023 they increased by 2%, to 11,862, from 11,634. Hate crimes have been steadily increasing in recent years, and most incidents are fueled by anti-black prejudice.