Washington DC Has Highest Murder Rate in 2024, Says White House — Here's Where Delhi Stands

In 2024, Washington DC topped the list of major global cities with the most violent crimes, according to the data cited by the White House. The US capital reported the highest murder rate in 2024, as per the data shared by the White House.

In a social media post on X, the White House shared that Washington DC’s murder rate at 27.54 per 1,00,000 people is one of the highest globally. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt originally posted the data and it was then reshared by the White House.

“FACT: DC Crime Is Out of Control. Our nation's capital should be a symbol of patriotism for the American people. NOT a city of lawlessness. It ends today,” it said while quoting President Donald Trump’s press conference over the issue.

According to the chart amplified by the White House, DC is followed by Colombia’s Bogota, where the murder rate stands at 15.1 per 1,00,000 people. Mexico (10.6), Islamabad (9.2) and Ottawa (2.17) also made it to the list. Within the top 10, India’s capital Delhi ranked at 8th spot with 1.49 murders per 1,00,000 people, the data showed. Paris and Madrid were ranked 9th and 10th, respectively.

Addressing a press conference over the issue, Trump vowed to make DC “safe again”. “The murder rate in Washington today is higher than that of Bogota and Mexico City. Some of the places that you hear about as being the worst places on earth, much higher. This is much higher. The number of car thefts has doubled over the past five years and the number of carjackings has more than tripled,” the US President highlighted.

In addition to this, Trump has also taken control of DC’s police and deployed the National Guard, calling it a mission to "rescue" the capital from lawlessness. He announced on Monday that 800 National Guard troops were being deployed to the DC to combat rising crime.

However, DC Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser has rejected his claims, highlighting that violent crime hit its lowest level in more than three decades last year.

According to the Federal data, while 2023 was one of the deadliest years for DC, the city has seen a 35% drop in violent crime in 2024.