Hate Crime Rates in the US Haven’t Been This High in Over a Decade

Last year saw the highest number of hate crimes committed in the United States since 2008, according to the FBI’s annual report. It also marked the highest number of hate-motivated murders in the history of the agency’s reporting.

Released Monday, the 2019 data logged 7,314 criminal hate-crime incidents, an increase from 2018’s reported 7,120, but short of 2008’s record of 7,783. Of last year’s total, the FBI suspects 7,103 incidents to have been motivated by a single factor. Nearly 58 percent of victims were believed to have been targeted because of their race or ethnicity; 20 percent because of their religion; almost 17 percent because of their sexual orientation; nearly 3 percent because of their gender identity; and 2 percent because of their ability. A further 211 crimes involved multiple bias motives.

View and download FBI Hate Crime Statistics

Read summarizing article in The Cut