The city this year is on pace for a record-low murder rate.

The NYPD announced there had been 325 homicides as of yesterday, putting the city on pace for 457 by year’s end. The low is 497 in 2007, officials said.

After the downturn of the 1970s and ’80s, the homicide rate reached a high of 2,245 in 1990, tops in the nation.

This year, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, murders are down 29 percent compared with 2001 and 15 percent from last year.