Reported anti-Jewish hate crimes increased by more than 37 percent, reaching highest number in almost three decades, and second-highest number on record
New York, NY, October 16, 2023 … Hate crimes data released today by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows that reported hate crime incidents in 2022 rose to 11,634 incidents, the highest number ever recorded since the FBI started tracking such data in 1991. Reported single-bias anti-Jewish hate crime incidents in the country sharply rose by more than 37%, reaching 1,122 incidents, the highest number recorded in almost three decades and the second-highest number on record.
“Reported hate crime incidents across the country have once again reached record highs, with anti-Jewish hate crimes at a number not seen in decades,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “At a time when the Jewish community is already reeling in the wake of a terrorist attack that constituted the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, the reality of this data is incredibly sobering. And yet, these numbers are not surprising. They are consistent with ADL’s own data and the trends we have been monitoring for years.”
According to the FBI data released today, a total of 14,631 law enforcement agencies, which represent only 77.5 percent of the agencies enrolled in the hate crime data collection program, participated in hate crimes reporting for 2022.
“Unfortunately, we know that even these record highs do not capture the full extent of hate crime incidents in the country,” said Greenblatt. “As we have said for years, data drives policy. Law enforcement agencies must urgently commit to hate crime data collection and reporting, and Congress must make it mandatory for state and local law enforcement agencies that receive federal funding to participate in the FBI’s hate crime data collection efforts each year. It is going to take a whole-of-society approach to counter these trends, and we need comprehensive and inclusive data to do so.”
According to the FBI, the number of reported single-bias, anti-Jewish hate crimes rose from 817 in 2021 to 1,122 in 2022 and comprised more than half of all religion-based hate crimes in 2022, a trend that is consistent with data reported in prior years.
Of the total number of reported hate crime incidents, a clear majority (approximately 56 percent) were motivated by bias based on race, ethnicity or national origin – as has been the case for the last three decades – with reported anti-Black hate crimes making up the vast majority of those incidents.
Reported hate crimes based on sexual-orientation bias rose from 1,707 in 2021 to 1,944 in 2022 and reported hate crimes based on gender-identity bias rose from 342 in 2021 to 469 in 2022. Reported religion-based hate crimes, which represented approximately 18 percent of all reported hate crimes, rose from 1,590 in 2021 to 2,042 in 2022.
ADL, which keeps its own count of both criminal and non-criminal acts of hate against Jews, counted a total of 3,697 antisemitic incidents in 2022, the highest number on record since ADL began tracking such data in 1979. Assaults – considered the most serious incident type because it involves person-on-person physical violence – increased 26 percent in 2022.
Jews make up around 2 percent of the U.S. population. Yet, in 2022, according to the FBI data, reported antisemitic hate crime incidents accounted for 9.6 percent of all hate crimes.
“With antisemitic incidents up across the board in nearly every category we track, and with the FBI data now reflecting a 37 percent increase in reported anti-Jewish hate crimes for 2022, a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach is needed to address these disturbing trends,” said Greenblatt. “As a start, we urge states, cities, colleges, K-12 schools, and communities to join ADL in taking immediate steps, consistent with the White House’s groundbreaking U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, to address this scourge head-on.”
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all.