U.S. murder rate remains the same after pandemic surge, still higher than pre-pandemic numbers

(KYMA, KECY/ NBC News) - A new FBI report on crime statistics found that the national murder rate remained flat in 2021 - after skyrocketing the year before during the pandemic.

Overall, the FBI estimates that violent crime decreased 1% nationally, according to the report which was released on Wednesday.

FBI officials expressed confidence in the general accuracy of their estimates - however the numbers come with a major caveat.

The 2021 crime data relies on estimates more than ever before since the FBI changed its crime data collection system - and many major police jurisdictions including New York and Los Angeles are not yet participating.

Although the spike in murders during the pandemic has now flatlined, the murder rate is still much higher than before the pandemic.