From 1989 to the early 2000s, there was little statistical difference between how Republicans and Democrats viewed the state of crime in the nation. Since then, people who identify with each party have diverged, with beliefs about crime shifting with the political winds.

According to a recent Gallup survey, however, the contrast between members of the two parties has never been more stark.

In 1989, when asked, “Is there more crime in the U.S. than there was a year ago, or less,” 86% of Democrats and 82% of Republicans said “more.” Agreement between the two parties remained relatively steady until 2002, when 53% of Republicans and 67% of Democrats said crime was worse than a year ago.

The 2024 survey was taken in October, just before the national elections. It found that 90% of Republicans and only 29% of Democrats believed that crime had worsened from the previous year, a difference of 61%.

For Republicans, there is a stark difference between their views of crime across the nation and crime that occurs in their own communities. Although 90% of Republicans think crime across the country has worsened in the previous year, only 69% believe it is getting worse in the areas where they live. 

Democratic views on local crime are somewhat more stable, with 23% saying it is getting worse in their communities, compared to the 29% who believe it is worse across the U.S.

The Gallup survey measures public sentiment, not crime data.

According to a Pew Research analysis released earlier this year, crime has remained relatively steady in recent years but has significantly declined since the early 1990s.