The number of Americans who feel crime is a serious issue in the U.S. has dropped for the second year in a row, according to the findings of a Gallup poll released Thursday.
About half the Americans polled by Gallup said crime is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem, 49%. The same percent believe crime is up.
That’s the lowest level of concern about crime since 2018. It comes after a recent peak in the pandemic’s aftermath.
A record-high 63% of Americans considered crime to be extremely or very serious in 2023, according to Gallup.
Across political lines, people who identify with both parties have rated crime as improved since 2023. But there is a gap in how much improvement people perceive depending on their party identification.
The recent poll showed a return to attitudes about crime held in the early 2000s, according to Gallup. About 33% of Americans believe there is less crime and 8% think crime rates are about the same.
The poll also reported 31% Americans fear walking nearby their homes at night. That number continues to decline after climbing to 40% in 2023.
But fears about crime aren’t the same across the board. Women as well as adults who are low-income or live in cities are among those who tend to be more concerned about safely walking around their homes.
Gallup conducted the poll by calling 1,000 adults who live around the U.S. earlier this month. The full results are available on Gallup’s website.