Just how bad is Georgia’s violent crime problem?

Violent crime — a broad category of offenses that includes rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and homicide — is on the rise in the United States. According to FBI data, there were a total of 1.3 million violent offenses reported in 2020, or 388 for every 100,000 people — a 5% increase from 2019.

The uptick was led by a spike in homicide. The number of murders surged by nearly 30%, from 16,669 in 2019 to 21,570 in 2020, the largest year-over-year increase on record. The spike in murders came during a year of national turmoil marked by coronavirus lockdowns, mass protests against police misconduct, and a sharp rise in gun sales. These are the states buying the most guns.

Despite the increase, the national violent crime rate remains well below the highs reported in the 1990s. Still, crime is ultimately a local phenomenon, and in some parts of the country, violence is much more common than in others.

After climbing by a near-nation leading rate of 17.4% year over year, Georgia’s violent crime rate stands at 400 incidents per 100,000 people, higher than in most other states. The majority of violent crimes reported in the state — 73.4% — were cases of aggravated assault.

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The increase in the rates of violent crime in Georgia was led by a spike in homicide cases. There were 943 murders reported in Georgia, a 44.2% increase from 654 murders the previous year.

All crime data used in this story is from the FBI and is for the year 2020.