WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The FBI on Monday released new data about hate crimes. It showed that more hate crimes were carried out in the United States last year. There was an increase in incidents motivated by intolerance against Jews, Muslims and LGBT people, among others. The term LGBT includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. There were more than 6,100 reported incidents of hate crimes in 2016, up from more than 5,800 the year before. The FBI made this report based on data submitted by law enforcement agencies across the country. The new data follows a trend from 2015. The trend shows that the largest share of victims last year, nearly six in 10, were targeted due to intolerance against the victim's race or ethnicity. Hate crimes motivated by hatred of a religion increased last year. The number of crimes targeting Jews and Muslims rose. Of the incidents spurred by hatred of a particular religion, anti-Semitism, or prejudice against Jewish people, was again the leading cause. It motivated about 55 percent of those episodes. Anti-Muslim sentiment followed next, spurring about 25 percent. The number of hate crimes targeting LGBT people also went up last year. The FBI numbers come as reports of discrimination have increased over the last year, making people around the nation worried. More Hate Groups Now Studies have shown increasing discrimination against Muslims in the United States. Jewish schools and institutions have been repeatedly shut down by threats. Cities have struggled with how to handle white-supremacist groups seeking to hold rallies. Meanwhile, gay-rights activists have decried what they describe as the Trump administration's "all out assault on LGBTQ people, women, and other minority communities." The number of American hate groups has also increased, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The number of hate crimes triggered by intolerance against a person's race or ethnic background rose to 3,489 from 3,310 a year earlier, the FBI report said. Half of those hate crimes were motivated by racism against African-American people. One in five victims were targeted because of their religion. One in six were due to sexual orientation, the report said. The FBI data captures a sweeping look at hate crime in the nation. But this report is considered incomplete because not all areas report their hate crimes. According to the FBI, 88 percent of agencies choosing to participate in the hate crime statistics program "reported that no hate crimes occurred" in their areas last year. Speaking earlier this year after a series of threats targeting Jewish schools and community centers, former FBI director James B. Comey acknowledged this. He said that the bureau needs "to do a better job of tracking and reporting hate crime." Only then can we understand what is happening and how to stop it. Comey Describes Hate Crimes "Hate crime is different from other crime," Comey said in prepared remarks delivered in May. "They strike at our sense of self, our sense of belonging. The end result is loss: loss of trust, loss of dignity, and in the worst case, loss of life." The FBI report, which collects information on the offenders in the hate crimes tallied last year, found that the largest share, nearly half were white. About a quarter of the people who carried out hate crimes were African-American. Four in 10 of the people identified as "known hate crime offenders" committed simple assault. This could mean a threat of violence or causing a minor injury. Nearly a quarter committed aggravated assault, which is more serious and often involves the use of a deadly weapon. The report also identified more than 1,600 people who committed hate crimes by damaging, vandalizing or trying to destroy property. Q: What is MOST LIKELY the reason why the author included the information about simple and aggravated assault?