Hate crimes increased for the third consecutive year in California in 2021 according to an annual report released by the California Department of Justice. There were a total of 1,763 reported hate crimes last year – a 33% increase from 2020. Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state hasn’t seen numbers that high since the immediate aftermath of 9/11.
Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation saw the largest increase (47.8%) followed by hate crimes involving racial bias (33.1%). Asians and African Americans saw the largest share of race-based hate crimes. Anti-Black crime rose 13%. The share of hate crimes against Asians has risen from 8% in 2020 to 21% in 2021.
The DOJ provided breakdowns by jurisdiction. The largest number of hate crimes in 2021 occurred in the counties of Los Angeles (630), Santa Clara (196), San Francisco (118), Orange (94), and Alameda (91).
Among cities, Los Angeles saw the largest number of hate crimes in 2021 (433) followed by San Jose (117) and San Francisco (114).
View more city and county data here.