Hate crimes targeting Sikh Americans have soared in the United States over the past decade, increasing by about 3,700%, according to preliminary FBI data cited by Axios.Figures show that anti-Sikh incidents jumped from just six cases in 2015 to 228 in 2025.The data also indicates shifts in hate crime patterns across the United States, even as overall incidents have declined in the last year.Hate crime cases overall fell by 11% in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to an analysis by Brian Levine of the California Association of Human Relations Organizations. However, he said certain groups have seen significant increases based on changing political and social conditions.“Whoever is the target of a certain type of stereotype, particularly fear-inducing ones, you will see this rise in the group specifically,” Brian Levin, a hate crime expert, told Axios.Despite the overall decline, anti-Sikh hate crimes remained among the most notable increases over the decade, along with a rise in incidents targeting the Latino and transgender communities.Hate crimes against Latinos rose 18% in 2025 to a record 1,014 incidents, the first time the group has been ranked among the three most targeted groups in 34 years of tracking FBI data.The report also included mixed trends across other categories.
Hate crimes against Jews fell by 29% in 2025, while hate crimes against transgender people fell by 6% but remained at historically high levels, nearly double their long-term average.Levin said 2025 remains the fifth-highest year for hate crimes recorded in the FBI’s 34-year data set. He also said total hate crimes were up 88% compared to 2015, though the final numbers may change as more agencies submit data.The FBI’s Crime Data Explorer has paused monthly updates while preparing its annual national report, meaning the current numbers are still preliminary.Levin added that increases in hate crimes often follow major events such as elections, international conflicts or terrorist attacks, and do not tend to return to previous lows once they subside. Instead, they stabilize at higher levels over the long term, leaving a high accident baseline.
