Arrests across the United States have dropped to levels not seen in decades, reflecting long-term declines in law enforcement activity and shifting trends in demographics and offenses. The national arrest rate in 2024 was roughly 30% lower than in 2019 and 71% below the peak recorded in 1994, highlighting a sustained decrease that began during the first year of the pandemic. Drug-related arrests have fallen even more sharply, with adult and juvenile drug-offense arrests roughly halved compared with 2019 levels.
Demographic patterns in arrests have also changed significantly over time. Juveniles now make up a smaller portion of total arrests, declining from nearly 20% in 1980 to 7% in 2018, though juvenile arrests rose 14% between 2020 and 2024. Arrests of women have grown as a share of total arrests, with adult women’s share rising from 14% in 1980 to about 27% by 2020, and girls’ share of juvenile arrests climbing from 18% to roughly 31%. Racial and ethnic disparities have shifted as well: juvenile arrests for Black and Asian youth increased 48% and 45%, respectively, from 2020 to 2024, while rates for American Indian and Alaska Native youth fell 4%. Among adults, arrests rose 12% for Black individuals and 18% for Asian individuals, but declined 10% for white adults and 17% for American Indian and Alaska Native adults, underscoring changing patterns in law enforcement engagement across communities.