The National Crime Victimization Survey and National Incident-Based Reporting System: A complementary picture of crime in 2022

• NCJ Number: 307589
• Author(s): Rachel E. Morgan, PhD, BJS Statistician; Erica L. Smith, BJS Statistician
• Date Published: December 2023
• Publication Series: NCVS and NIBRS Comparisons
• Publication Type: Publication

Description

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) measure a set of criminal offenses that overlap but are not identical, which leads to differences in estimates between the two data sources. The NCVS interviews persons age 12 or older about crimes both reported and not reported to police, and NIBRS collects data on crime recorded by law enforcement agencies. Taken together, these two measures provide a comprehensive picture of crime in the United States. The publication compares crime estimates from these two data sources and provides an overview of the similarities and differences between the collections.