| | | Recent studies from a range of academic and non-governmental organizations indicate that right-wing violence and threats of violence have been more frequent and deadlier than those from the left in the United States over the last several decades. In recent years, a small increase in left-wing violence has also been noted by some researchers.
Comparative analysis of right-wing and left-wing political violence
Frequency and deadliness of incidents
- A 2020 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found that right-wing attacks and plots accounted for the majority of all terrorist incidents in the U.S. since 1994. The study noted a significant rise in right-wing attacks in the years leading up to the report's publication, with right-wing extremists committing two-thirds of all such attacks in 2019.
- The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reports that 76% of extremist-related murders in the U.S. over the past decade were committed by those on the right.
- Data published by the Cato Institute in September 2025, when excluding the outlier of the 9/11 attacks, shows that right-wing terrorist attacks have caused 63% of deaths from political violence since 1975, compared to 10% from left-wing attacks.
Academic and government research
- A 2022 study published by the National Institutes of Health and conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland compared the use of political violence by left-wing, right-wing, and Islamist extremists. The study's analysis found that acts associated with left-wing causes were significantly less likely to be violent when compared to right-wing acts.
- In September 2025, The Guardian reported that the U.S. Department of Justice had removed a 2024 study from its website that found far-right extremists had committed "far more" violence than far-left or Islamist extremists. The study's opening line cited that between 1990 and 2024, far-right extremists committed 227 ideologically motivated attacks, while far-left extremists committed 42.
Potential factors and nuances
- The overall prevalence of politically motivated violence in the U.S. is low relative to other types of crime.
- Recent events have led to a focus on both left and right-wing extremism. A September 2025 NBC News report indicated that following the killing of a conservative activist, the Trump administration announced it would target far-left groups. Simultaneously, The Guardian reported on the removal of the Justice Department study emphasizing far-right violence.
- Some analysis suggests differences in target selection. One study found that while far-right extremists commit a higher frequency of incidents, far-left extremists are sometimes more likely to target law enforcement and have been involved in more multi-fatality incidents in some periods.
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