Violent crime declined across the United States last year, according to new statistics from the FBI, including a dramatic drop in the number of murders.

The data show murder and non-negligent manslaughter dropped in the United States nearly 12% from 2022 to 2023 – the largest decline in decades, according to the FBI. The reported number of rapes also dropped significantly, by more than 9%, while reported hate crimes dropped less than 1%.

Overall, violent crime dropped an estimated 3%, and property crime decreased an estimated 2.4%.

Crime rates have become one of the country’s biggest political issues as the 2024 presidential election approaches. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has sought to make crime a central issue in the election, claiming that crime rates are on the rise and trying to portray his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, as weak on crime.

The vice president and former California attorney general has sought to rebut those charges by emphasizing her toughness and pointing to Trump’s own pending criminal cases.

The number of reported offenses for certain categories of crimes increased from 2022 to 2023, including vehicle thefts, which went up by nearly 13%.

The report draws from statistics gathered from 16,334 law enforcement agencies from across the country, according to the bureau – more than 85% of agencies enrolled in the FBI’s crime reporting system. The bureau received statistics from major police forces such as the New York and Los Angeles Police Departments.

In a call with reporters Monday, a senior FBI official declined to comment on claims about the crime rate that both presidential candidates have made on the campaign trail. But the official defended the FBI’s data, saying that the bureau’s methodology “has been consistent for decades.”

This story is breaking and will be updated.